Dalceridae
Encyclopedia
Dalceridae is a small family of moth
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...

s with 84 known species. They are mostly found in the Neotropical region with a few reaching the far south of the Nearctic
Nearctic
The Nearctic is one of the eight terrestrial ecozones dividing the Earth's land surface.The Nearctic ecozone covers most of North America, including Greenland and the highlands of Mexico...

 region.

These are generally small or medium-sized moths with very hairy bodies. The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...

e are rather slug
Slug
Slug is a common name that is normally applied to any gastropod mollusc that lacks a shell, has a very reduced shell, or has a small internal shell...

-like and along with the larvae of the sister taxa Limacodidae
Limacodidae
Limacodidae or Euclidae is a family of moths in the superfamily Zygaenoidea or the Cossoidea; the placement is in dispute. They are often called slug moths because their caterpillars bear a distinct resemblance to slugs...

 and Megalopygidae
Megalopygidae
Megalopygidae is the technical name of a group of insect species known generally as crinkled flannel moths, or simply Flannel Moths. They occur in North America and the New World tropics. The larvae are called Puss Caterpillars, and with their long hairs, resemble cotton balls...

are often known as slug caterpillars.
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