MOTHS

PALE TUSSOCK:

The Latin name for this moth is Calliteara pudibunda.

This is a medium-sized moth with a wingspan of about 4 to 5cm. The male and female are greyish-white, hairy and banded with pale brown.

The Pale Tussock flies at night throughout May and June.

The caterpillars are very distinctive, being yellow or green, with numerous long hairs that include four brushes of yellow hair and one tuft of orange hair. They feed on most deciduous trees, for example oak and birch.