Hag Moth

Phobetron pithecium is a slug moth in Limacodidae. “Monkey slug” names its unusual caterpillar rather than a separate species. [1][2]

The dark male has orangish antennae, nearly transparent spotted forewings and triangular hindwings. The larger female has cream blotches and stronger wing markings. Both sexes carry pale middle-leg tufts. [2]

The North American range extends from Minnesota east to Maine and Quebec, south to Florida and west to Texas and Oklahoma. Habitats include shrubby fields and deciduous forests. [2][1]

In West Virginia, nine larval instars are recorded. Shed tubercles can be incorporated into the cocoon. [2]

Caterpillars feed on many deciduous trees and ornamental shrubs, including dogwood, hickory, oak, apple, rose and sassafras. They eat leaf surfaces but seldom occur densely enough to cause major plant damage. [1]

West Virginia adults fly from April to September; males also fly by day. [2]

The caterpillar’s apparent “legs” are fleshy appendages rather than its walking limbs. They can be shed without serious injury; the true legs lie beneath the body. [1][2]

The larva’s detachable appendages have been interpreted as a means of escaping predators that seize them. Spider resemblance has also been proposed as a defensive mimicry mechanism; the latter remains a hypothesis. [1]

Keep the enclosure closed and display it in indirect light, away from heat and damp conditions. Handle the frame by its edges and clean only its exterior according to the maker’s instructions.