Forest and Shade Tree Entomology

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Slide 5-F - Silver-spotted tiger moth, Halisidota argentata
Canopy insects have special niches. Tim Schowalter of Oregon State University in Corvallis focuses on a caterpillar of the silver-spotted tiger moth, Halisidota argentata (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae). This is a western forest insect whose larvae feed principally on Douglas-fir in coastal areas ranging from California to British Columbia. It will also feed on needles of many other conifer species. The dorsal tufts of black hairs cause a rash in some people. Moffett, M.W. 1997. Climbing an ecological frontier: Tree giants of North America. National Geographic 191(1):44-61.