Panthea furcilla
Encyclopedia
The Tufted White Pine Caterpillar or Eastern Panthea (Panthea furcilla) is a species of moth
of the Noctuidae
family. It is found across the boreal forest region of Canada west to the Rocky Mountains, and in the eastern parts of the United States
, from Maine
to Florida
, west to Texas
, north to Indiana
and Ohio
.
It has a wingspan
of 33-50 mm. The moth flies from June to August in a single brood in Canada, but in two or more generations in the southern United States, depending on the location.
The larvae feed on Eastern Larch, Pines, and Spruces.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Noctuidae
Noctuidae
The Noctuidae or owlet moths are a family of robustly-built moths that includes more than 35,000 known species out of possibly 100,000 total, in more than 4,200 genera. They constitute the largest family in the Lepidoptera....
family. It is found across the boreal forest region of Canada west to the Rocky Mountains, and in the eastern parts of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, from Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, west to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, north to Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
and Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
It has a wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
of 33-50 mm. The moth flies from June to August in a single brood in Canada, but in two or more generations in the southern United States, depending on the location.
The larvae feed on Eastern Larch, Pines, and Spruces.
Subspecies
There are two recognised subspecies:- Panthea furcilla australis
- Panthea furcilla furcilla