Nice, clear photo. Seek was a bit off the mark with Schaus’ Tussock Moth (
Halysidota schausi, which are only found in the southwest US), but I found this at
BugGuide “Thorax pale yellow or cream with a broad light-orange longitudinal stripe on top; the orange stripe contains two thin, parallel, pastel-turquoise stripes (resembling a ‘punk hairdo’).” I don’t really have the pastel-turquoise stripes, but the wing markings and orange stripe were consistent with
Halysidota tessellaris or “Banded Tussock Moth,” so that’s how I submitted this to iNaturalist, BAMONA, and BugGuide.
Very promptly, I received an ID from BAMONA, but only to genus, with this from the regional coordinator, “Adults of
Halysidota tessellaris in the eastern regions can only be separated from
Halysidota harrisii by genitalia dissection.”
Similarly, the BugGuide page notes that “Halysidota tessellaris and harrisii can be determined by brushing the scales off the terminal end of the abdomen.” »
See photo
So there you have it: you have to get up in their business to tell a Banded Tussock Moth (
Halysidota tessellaris) from a Sycamore Tussock Moth (
Halysidota harrisii)!
Since I didn’t get up in this guy’s business, we can’t be sure which type of Tussock Moth this is.
» This sighting: [
iNaturalist ] [
BAMONA ] [
BugGuide ]
» Genus pages: [
iNaturalist ] [
BAMONA ] [
BugGuide ] [
UK Moths ]
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August 2 posts
1 year ago:
“Achemon Sphinx moth”
2 years ago:
“Hmm. What to do … and how to do it?”
3 years ago:
“Magic Lily = Surprise Lily = Resurrection Lily”
4 years ago:
“Crape Myrtle shedding bark”
5 years ago:
“Hard to pass up a Monarch…”
6 years ago:
“Keweenaw Waterway Upper Entrance Lighthouse”
7 years ago:
“Parking lot ‘find’”
8 years ago:
“Eastern Pondhawk (male)”
9 years ago:
“An August abstract?”
10 years ago:
“Green River”
11 years ago:
“Silver-spotted skipper”
12 years ago:
“Like shooting fish in a barrel!” One of my favorite stories! Casey would be 19 now!
13 years ago:
“Car-of-the-Month, August”
