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Mila'sExotic Plants & CuriositiesA living collection by Luminary OdditiesLuminary Oddities · Natural history & art
Phobetron pithecium
Lepidoptera / Limacodidae
Phobetron pithecium has a spider-like caterpillar. Adult males have nearly transparent forewings; larger females have darker patterned wings and conspicuous pale middle-leg tufts.
Read the species account
The dark male has orangish antennae, nearly transparent spotted forewings and triangular hindwings. The larger female has cream blotches and stronger wing markings. Both sexes carry pale middle-leg tufts. [2]
In West Virginia, nine larval instars are recorded. Shed tubercles can be incorporated into the cocoon. [2]
Caterpillars feed on many deciduous trees and ornamental shrubs, including dogwood, hickory, oak, apple, rose and sassafras. They eat leaf surfaces but seldom occur densely enough to cause major plant damage. [1]
West Virginia adults fly from April to September; males also fly by day. [2]
The larva’s detachable appendages have been interpreted as a means of escaping predators that seize them. Spider resemblance has also been proposed as a defensive mimicry mechanism; the latter remains a hypothesis. [1]
Keep the enclosure closed and display it in indirect light, away from heat and damp conditions. Handle the frame by its edges and clean only its exterior according to the maker’s instructions.
Dellinger and Day; Virginia Cooperative Extension (2023) · Accessed 2026-10-13
USDA Forest Service, FHAAST-2019-06 · Accessed 2026-10-13
Sources checked 2026-10-13. Illustrations · Luminary Oddities.
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