Pale moon gypsy1/3/2023 ![]() When larval development is complete, they crawl down the tree trunk, settle in leaf litter at the base of the tree, and enter the pupal stage. If the silk lines are long enough, the wind breaks them from the tree, and the silk acts as a parasail, carrying the young larvae to new, uninfested trees to feed. Small larvae spin silk from glands in their mouthparts and hang from branches high up in trees. Unlike most butterflies and moths, the larvae are the main dispersal stage. They often completely strip trees of their leaves in several weeks. The flat, pale brown larvae, with tufts of stiff brown and yellow hairs on their sides, grow to 50 mm and are voracious feeders. Eggs deposited in clusters during July are covered with a mass of buff-coloured hair from the female’s abdomen. ![]() The smaller, darker male is a strong flier. The heavy-bodied flightless female moth is white with black zigzag markings and has a wingspan of 38 to 50 mm (1.5 to 2 inches).
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