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Mila'sExotic Plants & CuriositiesA living collection by Luminary OdditiesLuminary Oddities · Natural history & art
Cerura vinula
Lepidoptera / Notodontidae
The puss moth has a densely furred white-grey body and patterned forewings. Its green caterpillar is equally distinctive, with a dark saddle, a conspicuous false-face display and paired posterior structures that can extend red whips when disturbed.
Read the species account
The thorax and abdomen are densely furred in white and grey. Black spots mark the thorax and the bases of the forewings, followed by a sequence of dark brackets and chevrons. Females are generally larger and darker; male antennae are strongly combed. The mature caterpillar is green below a grey-purple dorsal saddle. [1]
Dark red eggs are laid on the upper surface of leaves, singly or in small groups. Early larvae are mostly black; mature larvae acquire the green body and dark saddle. Before pupation the caterpillar turns plum-coloured and makes a hard, domed cocoon incorporating wood fragments. The pupa overwinters inside this protective structure. [1]
When disturbed, the caterpillar raises its head and waves the paired tails, extending pink-red filaments from their tips. The mature larva also exposes a red false-face area with two dark eyespots. Adult moths are nocturnal and come to light; British accounts place their principal flight season in spring and early summer. [2][1]
A feeding experiment traced the processing of defensive compounds from poplar leaves. Researchers gave larvae carbon-labelled salicinoids and identified labelled products in their droppings by chemical analysis. Benzoyl groups from compounds including tremulacin and trichocarpin were incorporated into conjugates of quinic acid. [4]
David C. Lees and Darwin Tree of Life collaborators; Wellcome Open Research · Accessed 2026-10-11
Ian Kimber; UKMoths · Accessed 2026-10-11
Aarvik and Elven; Natural History Museum, University of Oslo · Accessed 2026-10-11
Schnurrer, Nakamura and Paetz; Journal of Chemical Ecology · Accessed 2026-10-11
Sources checked 2026-10-11. Illustrations · Luminary Oddities.
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