Salt Marsh Moth (Estigmene acrea)

Caterpillar

The larva is known by the name of salt marsh caterpillar, growing up to 5 cm. The entire larval stage reaches to between five and seven instars, being about 1 cm in the first instar. In the second instar, they attain longitudinal strips with their body being brown, white, or yellowish. During the third instar, their body becomes darker, reaching a length of 3 cm. By the fourth and fifth instar, they reach 5.5 cm, turning yellowish-brown or straw-colored. They have soft tufts of hair that get longer towards the end of their body but are not dense like that of the woolly bear. Hence, they do not sting and are not considered poisonous. The segments on their abdomen and thorax have some rows of black or orange warts.  Each segment has a small white dot on both sides of the body. The entire larval phase lasts between 24 – 37 days.

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Pupa

The pupal stage occurs within the leaf debris. The pupa is encased inside a silken, thin cocoon made from the caterpillar’s body hairs. The pupa finally attains a dark brown color, growing up to 3 cm. The entire pupal phase lasts for approximately 12 – 14 days.

Adult Moth

Sexual Dimorphism: Present (in terms of coloration)

Color and Appearance

Forewings: When opened, the forewings are white with black spots, though, in some, these spots remain absent. When closed, the coloration is the same, with fewer black spots visible.

Hindwings: When opened, it is yellowish-orange in the male species and white in their female counterparts. Only a part of their hindwings can be seen when closed, yet there is no change in the overall coloration.

Average Wingspan: 4.5 – 6.8 cm

Flight Pattern: Not recorded

Season: May-August

Eggs

The spherical eggs have a diameter of approximately 0.6 mm. They are yellow initially, eventually turning to gray, hatching in about five days from being laid. Females lay around 400 – 1000 eggs in a single or more than one cluster.

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