Summary ²

Halysidota tessellaris, the banded tussock moth, tessellated halisidota, or pale tiger moth, is a moth in the family Arctiidae. Like most species in this family, it has chemical defenses it acquires from its host plants, in this case, alkaloids (Weller et al., 1999, Hristov and Conner 2005), at least in the adult. The brazen behaviour of the larvae also suggests chemical protection in this stage, although they have not been analyzed for alkaloid content.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Jenn Forman Orth, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/49503155549@N01/3715321687
2. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halysidota_tessellaris

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• BugGuide
• Butterflies and Moths of North America
• CalPhotos
• CUIC Insect Images
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• Maryland Moths
• Mass Moths
• Moth Photographers Group
• Moths of North Carolina
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• Pacific Northwest Moths

iNat Map