Metanastria hyrtaca

Metanastria hyrtaca, called the hairy caterpillar as a larva, is a moth of the family Lasiocampidae first described by Pieter Cramer in 1782.[1] It is found in Sri Lanka.[2]

"Hairy caterpillar" redirects here. For the other moth larva with this common name, see Selepa celtis.

Metanastria hyrtaca
Caterpillar in Sri Lanka
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Lasiocampidae
Genus:
Metanastria
Species:
M. hyrtaca
Binomial name
Metanastria hyrtaca
Cramer, 1782
Synonyms
  • Phalaena hyrtaca Cramer, 1779
  • Bombyx lusca Fabricius, 1787
  • Lebeda repanda Walker, 1855
  • Metanastria laricis Hübner, 1789

Biology

The adult has a grayish head and thorax and a whitish abdomen. Forewings are brownish with a characteristic reddish-brown spot ringed with white. Hindwings are whitish. Larva yellowish brown with black spots and long lateral tufts of hairs. A reddish band is found in the neck region.[3]

The caterpillar is a serious pest of many economically important crops such as cashew, badam, moringa, sapota, jamun, guava, Vachellia nilotica, Shorea robusta, Schima wallichii, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, Mimusops elengi and Madhuca longifolia.[4]

References
  1. "Species Details: Metanastria hyrtaca Cramer, 1782". Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  2. Koçak, Ahmet Ömer; Kemal, Muhabbet (20 February 2012). "Preliminary list of the Lepidoptera of Sri Lanka". Cesa News. Centre for Entomological Studies Ankara (79): 1–57 – via Academia.
  3. "Crop Protection: Pests of Sapota". TNAU. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  4. "Metanastria hyrtaca (Cramer)". ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources. Retrieved 2 March 2018.


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