This moth seems to have a year around cycle, though a lot of the late (i.e. early winter) larvae end up attacked by mold or virus. From May '12 until April '13 I have not failed to find larvae in their leaf roll of Boehmeria nivea. Throughout most of the warmer months it was quite common to find larvae of 2nd, 3rd and 4th instars simultaneously. Very prolific! However, the leaf itself is quite soft which allows many predators to penetrate and attack/eat the larva (wasps and ants mostly, though spiders will also make use of the handy shelter as well). The mature larvae are typically about 2 cm long; the moth ws is about 3 cm. Curisously, examination of the dorsal tail section of the pupa reveals a series of three pairs of by-symmetrical "claws". Most of the specimens observed were found at 22.276496, 114.227787 lat & long, though a few were found during one trail hike above The Regent (Upper Levels).
[ Last edited by dlmohn at 2013-3-15 03:13 ]
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