Field Guide
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Puss Moth
Cerura vinula
Not yet photographed by the community
Soft fluffy appearance; caterpillar has extraordinary defensive display.
Species Profile
Green List; common and widespread with stable populations
- Lifespan
- 4–6 weeks as an adult moth
- Size & Weight
- Wingspan 32–39 mm; body length approximately 15–18 mm
- Habitat
- Woodland edges, riverside willows and poplars, parks and gardens with suitable host trees across lowland Britain.
- UK Distribution
- Found throughout England, Wales, and southern Scotland; resident with two generations per year, absent from far northern regions.
- Diet
- Adults feed on nectar and sap; caterpillars feed exclusively on willow and aspen leaves.
- Predators
- Birds, spiders, parasitic wasps (notably Ichneumonidae); caterpillars have few natural predators due to defensive adaptations.
- Mating Season
- May to June (first generation); July to August (second generation)
- Breeding
- Females lay 10–20 eggs on host plant leaves; caterpillars develop over 4–6 weeks with multiple instars; pupation occurs in silken cocoons on tree bark; two broods per year in southern UK.
- Behaviour
- Nocturnal and strongly attracted to artificial lights. Males are highly active fliers at dusk. Caterpillars are famous for their defensive display, extending bright red whip-like tentacles and spraying formic acid when threatened.
- •The caterpillar can spray formic acid up to 30 cm as a defence mechanism when disturbed.
- •When threatened, the caterpillar's bright red anal tentacles suddenly evert, startling predators.
- •Adult moths have a distinctive pale, furry appearance with a dark grey and white pattern resembling a cat's fur, hence the common name.
- •The species has shown an increase in range northwards over recent decades, possibly linked to climate change.
- •The caterpillar is one of the few lepidopteran larvae capable of producing and deploying chemical weaponry defensively.
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