Lackey moth

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Malacosoma neustria
Adult with light coloration
Adult with light coloration
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
(unranked) Macrolepidoptera
Superfamily: Lasiocampoidea
Family: Lasiocampidae
Subfamily: Lasiocampinae
Genus: Malacosoma
Species: M. neustria
Binomial name
Malacosoma neustria
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Caterpillar, Julian Alps, Slovenia
Caterpillar, Julian Alps, Slovenia

The Lackey moth, Malacosoma neustria, is a member of the genus Malacosoma, common across southern Britain and central Europe. Malacosoma species are notable for their caterpillars which are brightly coloured and form silken tents to regulate their temperature. Malacosoma neustria caterpillars are brown with blue, orange and white stripes. The adults are a fairly uniform brown. The larvae feed mainly on trees and shrubs from within their tents.

In Britain the flight period is from July to August.

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