Stauropus alternus

Stauropus alternus, the lobster caterpillar,[1] lobster moth or crab caterpillar,[2] is a moth of the family Notodontidae. It is found in the north-eastern Himalaya, Sri Lanka, Sundaland, the Philippines, Sulawesi and the southern Moluccas.[3] It was described by Francis Walker in 1855.

Lobster caterpillar
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Notodontidae
Genus:
Stauropus
Species:
S. alternus
Binomial name
Stauropus alternus
(Walker, 1855)
Synonyms
  • Neostauropus alternus

Taxonomy

The species was separated in the genus Neostauropus by Sergius G. Kiriakoff but there are few differences and most authors treat it as a single genus Stauropus.[4][5]

Description

In males, the head and thorax are brownish grey. Abdomen is greyish brown with the dorsal tufts on first six segments darker. Forewings are brownish grey with indistinct antemedial and postmedial pale waved lines. The submarginal series have rusty red spots with pale lunules inside them. Hindwings are whitish with the costal and inner areas are brownish. Both wings with a marginal series of pale and reddish-brown lunules. Ventral side is brown. The female is similar to the male but with uniformly brown hindwings. Larva dark reddish brown. A pale dorsal line can be seen. There are grey subdorsal streaks on the fourth and sixth somites. The terminal somite is swollen and carried over the back with two angular processes from the proximity. Anal prolegs are absent. Second and third leg pairs are long.[6]

Ecology

The caterpillars feed on Ricinus, Careya, Cajanus, Cassia, Ougeinia, Pithecellobium and Wagatea species. They are considered a pest on pulses, tea, coffee, rambutan and mango. The caterpillars have long legs and rear up when threatened and are sometimes called crab or lobster caterpillars.

Subspecies
  • S. alternus alternus
  • S. alternus brunneus (Sumatra)
  • S. alternus niasicus (Nias)
  • S. alternus nephodes (Philippines)
  • S. alternus melastomatis (Amboina)
gollark: I WANT TO DO SOME OF THIS ND STUFF AS PRACTICE.
gollark: I CAN PROBABLY ALSO CATCH.
gollark: Reminder kind of to self: its hour thingy is between 6 mins ago & now.
gollark: *ToDs
gollark: *is annoyed at lack of accurate timers*

References
  1. "Stauropus alternus". Discover life. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  2. "Crab caterpillar--Stauropus alternus Wilk. (Notodontidae: Lepidoptera), a new pest of sapota (Achras zapota L.) [1974]". International Information System for the Agricultural Science and Technology. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  3. "Stauropus alternus Walker, 1855". India Biodiversity Portal. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  4. Schintlmeister, A. (1991). "Die Gattung Stauropus Germar, 1812 in den Philippinen. (Lepidoptera, Notodontidae)". Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift (in German). 38 (1–3): 109–118. doi:10.1002/mmnd.19910380121.
  5. "Neostauropus Kiriakoff". The Moths of Borneo. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  6. Hampson, G. F. (1892). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma: Moths Volume I. Taylor and Francis – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
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