Lapara (moth)
Preparation of Lapara bombycoides
Lapara is a genus within the family of butterfly moth ( Sphingidae ).
Features
The moths are dull gray to gray- brown. Their forewings are more or less black, mottled brown and white. The hind wings as in Lapara coniferarum no pattern or maximum indistinctly patterned as in most individuals of Lapara bombycoides. The abdomen of the moth is largely either single color or contain oblique, dark Intersegmentalbänder. The proboscis is short and very weak, but functional.
Unlike all the other groups represented in North America moth species the caterpillars of Lapara - species are absent at all stages of the Analhorn. Full grown caterpillars have a green color and wear isolated secondary bristles. On their bodies run on each side a longitudinal stripes on the back ( dorsal), on either side of the back ( subdorsal ) and below the spiracles ( subspiracular ). These strips are white to yellowish and serve to camouflage when the caterpillars are sitting on pins and needles of the food plants. The caterpillars carry beyond the back and along the subdorsalen longitudinal stripes spots in different shades of reddish brown. The color and their propagation varies not only between species but also within a species, between individuals or populations. The head of younger crawler is pointed upward and wearing numerous small spines. In the last stage, the bead head capsule is slightly triangular shape and has a smooth surface. The caterpillar is a backwards " V "-shaped, dark brown mark on the face. The distinction of species in the caterpillar stage is very difficult.
The doll can not be distinguished from each other. They are smooth, almost black and elongated. The cremaster is broad, basally slightly teardrop shaped, but is drawn out to a thin stem that ends pointed.
Occurrence and life
All species of the genus occur in Canada and the United States of America. The caterpillars feed on pines ( Pinus ).
System
There are four known species of the genus. The taxonomic position of the species is, however, partly unclear. So consider Kitching & Cadiou (2000) Lapara halicarnie as an independent species, whereas Tuttle this separation does not follow, but these animals are considered to be larger and less patterned individuals of Lapara coniferarum.
- Lapara bombycoides Walker, 1856
- Lapara coniferarum (J. E. Smith, 1797)
- Lapara halicarnie ( Strecker, 1880)
- Lapara phaeobrachycerous Brou, 1994