Drepana arcuata, the arched hooktip or masked birch caterpillar, is a moth of the family Drepanidae. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1855.[1] It is found from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island, south to at least North Carolina, South Carolina and California.
| Drepana arcuata | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Drepanidae |
| Genus: | Drepana |
| Species: | D. arcuata
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| Binomial name | |
| Drepana arcuata Walker, 1855
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| Synonyms | |
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The wingspan is 24–40 millimetres (0.94–1.57 in). Adults are on wing from mid-May through late-July. There is one generation per year in the north.
The larvae feed on Betula papyrifera and Alnus species, which they may use as a medium to communicate. Sound is produced by shaking their bodies, drumming and scraping their mouthparts, or dragging specialised anal "oars" against the surface of a leaf. Larvae build communal silk shelters and the sounds may attract other larva to the shelter.[2]
References
edit- ^ Anweiler, G. G. & Schmidt, B. C. (April 7, 2003). "Species Details Drepana arcuata". University of Alberta Museums. E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ "Musical caterpillars 'drum' with anus". New Scientist. 233 (3115): 19. 4 March 2017. doi:10.1016/S0262-4079(17)30410-4.
External links
edit
- "850019.00 – 6251 – Drepana arcuata – Arched Hooktip Moth – Walker, 1855". North American Moth Photographers Group. Mississippi State University. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
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