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Thread: A plague of moth cats

  1. #1
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    Default A plague of moth cats

    Encountered this plague of moth cats on a tree trunk.
    Any idea what the species ID is?
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    Horace

  2. #2
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    Apr 2006
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    Hardly a plague - more of a conference of cats, or perhaps a lobby of larvae!

    These are Lasiocampidae (Lappet Moths) of some description. In Hong Kong there are two species in the genus Metanastria that exhibit this herding instinct, and young instars in Paralebeda also are gregarious. I'd be inclined to think these may also be a species of Metanastria, or possibly Lebeda.



    Roger.
    Roger C. KENDRICK Ph.D.

    C & R Wildlife, Lam Tsuen, Tai Po, N.T., Hong Kong S.A.R.
    HK Moths website: http://www.hkmoths.com
    HK Moths Recording Project on i-Naturalist: http://www.inaturalist.org/projects/hong-kong-moths
    HK Moths Flickr site: http://www.flickr.com/groups/hongkongmoths/

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by hkmoths View Post
    Hardly a plague - more of a conference of cats, or perhaps a lobby of larvae!

    These are Lasiocampidae (Lappet Moths) of some description. In Hong Kong there are two species in the genus Metanastria that exhibit this herding instinct, and young instars in Paralebeda also are gregarious. I'd be inclined to think these may also be a species of Metanastria, or possibly Lebeda.



    Roger.
    Thanks, Roger for the information on the possible species ID. It was a very interesting sight of so many cats squeezed side by side, as if they were trying to stay warm in this cold weather.
    Horace

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