Estigmene acrea
Encyclopedia
The Salt Marsh Moth or Acrea Moth (Estigmene acrea) is a North America
n moth
in the family Arctiidae
.
The head and thorax are white with the abdomen being yellow-orange with a row of black spots. The fore wing is white with a variable amount of black spots (some individuals lack these spots). The hind wing is yellow-orange in males and white in females. Both sexes have 3-4 black spots or blotches on their hind wings. The wingspan measures 4.5 to 6.8 cm.
and southern Texas
.
The yellowish eggs are laid in clusters on the host plant leaves. The larva
, known as the Salt Marsh Caterpillar, is highly variable in color and ranges from pale yellow to dark brownish-black. It has numerous soft seta
e which are longer towards the end of the body. The thoracic and abdominal segments have a few rows of either orange or black warts. The pupa
hibernates
in a cocoon.
The moth also seems to handle pyrrolizidine alkaloids of almost all known structural types representative of the major plant families with pyrrolizidine alkaloid-containing species, i.e. Asteraceae with the tribes Senecioneae and Eupatorieae, Boraginaceae, Fabaceae, Apocynaceae and Orchidaceae. It has highly sensitive recognition of alkaloid sources by pyrrolizidine alkaloid-specific taste receptors.
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n 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...
in the family Arctiidae
Arctiidae
Arctiidae is a large and diverse family of moths with around 11,000 species found all over the world, including 6,000 neotropical species. This family includes the groups commonly known as tiger moths , which usually have bright colours, footmen , lichen moths and wasp moths...
.
Description
Flight
This moth may be seen from May to August. It is seen all year in southern FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and southern Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Life cycle
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
, known as the Salt Marsh Caterpillar, is highly variable in color and ranges from pale yellow to dark brownish-black. It has numerous soft seta
Seta
Seta is a biological term derived from the Latin word for "bristle". It refers to a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms.-Animal setae:In zoology, most "setae" occur in invertebrates....
e which are longer towards the end of the body. The thoracic and abdominal segments have a few rows of either orange or black warts. The pupa
Pupa
A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in holometabolous insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis, going through four life stages; embryo, larva, pupa and imago...
hibernates
Hibernation
Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in animals, characterized by lower body temperature, slower breathing, and lower metabolic rate. Hibernating animals conserve food, especially during winter when food supplies are limited, tapping energy reserves, body fat, at a slow rate...
in a cocoon.
Host plants
Here is a list of host plants used by the Salt Marsh Caterpillar:- CabbageCabbageCabbage is a popular cultivar of the species Brassica oleracea Linne of the Family Brassicaceae and is a leafy green vegetable...
- CottonCottonCotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
- walnut, Juglans sp.
- Apple, Malus domestica
- Tobacco, Nicotiana tabacumNicotiana tabacumNicotiana tabacum, or cultivated tobacco, is a perennial herbaceous plant. It is found only in cultivation, where it is the most commonly grown of all plants in the Nicotiana genus, and its leaves are commercially grown in many countries to be processed into tobacco. It grows to heights between 1...
- Pea, Pisum sativum
- Potato, Solanum tuberosum
- clover, Trifolium sp.
- Corn, Zea mays
The moth also seems to handle pyrrolizidine alkaloids of almost all known structural types representative of the major plant families with pyrrolizidine alkaloid-containing species, i.e. Asteraceae with the tribes Senecioneae and Eupatorieae, Boraginaceae, Fabaceae, Apocynaceae and Orchidaceae. It has highly sensitive recognition of alkaloid sources by pyrrolizidine alkaloid-specific taste receptors.