🪲

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.

Did You Know?

•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.

🪲

No photos yet

Be the first to photograph a Puss Moth and share it with the community.