Insects › Lappet Moths
Western Tent Caterpillar Moth
Malacosoma californica
28 photos
Study shows up to four per card, from different observers, so you learn the species rather than one picture. Heart the good ones and swap any you do not like.
Photos you add are credited to you, and you keep the copyright.
Easily confused with
Forest Tent Caterpillar MothMalacosoma disstria
Southwestern Tent Caterpillar MothMalacosoma incurva
Eastern Tent Caterpillar MothMalacosoma americana
Fall Webworm MothHyphantria cunea
Pacific Tent CaterpillarMalacosoma constricta
Sonoran Tent CaterpillarMalacosoma tigris
Silver-spotted Tiger MothLophocampa argentata
The LackeyMalacosoma neustria
Study checks a spoken answer against these, and tells you which one you named.
Where it is recorded
| United States | 7,280 |
|---|---|
| Canada | 4,698 |
| British Columbia | 3,257 |
| Washington | 1,963 |
| Colorado | 1,303 |
| California | 931 |
| Oregon | 822 |
| Wyoming | 728 |
| Idaho | 636 |
| Utah | 593 |
Counts show where people looked, not only where it lives.
Traits
Physical
- MetamorphosisUndergoes dramatic body transformation during developmentFrom its classification
- ExoskeletonHas a hard external skeletonFrom its classification
Group and habits
- Animal pollinatorDescends from an animal lineage whose members commonly pollinate flowers.Inferred from its group
Classification
| Kingdom | Animals · Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Arthropods · Arthropoda |
| Class | Insects · Insecta |
| Order | Butterflies and Moths · Lepidoptera |
| Family | Lappet Moths · Lasiocampidae |
| Genus | Tent Caterpillar Moths · Malacosoma |
Sources
- Names, taxonomy and observation counts: www.inaturalist.org
- Photos and recordings: the creator and source are on each one.
- How much to rely on each source
Remember the name next time.
Practise Western Tent Caterpillar Moth with real photos from different observers. Say the name out loud, and it comes back just before you would forget it.