Datana major

Datana major
Datana major
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Notodontidae
Genus: Datana
Species: D. major
Binomial name
Datana major
Grote & Robinson, 1866

The Major Datana or Azalea Caterpillar (Datana major) is a moth of the Notodontidae family. It is found from Maryland to Florida, west to Kansas and Arkansas.

Datana major larva2.jpg
Datana major larva.jpg

The wingspan is 40-50 mm. Adults are on wing from June to August. Normally, there is one generation per year, although there may be a partial second generation in the southern part of the range.

The larvae mainly feed on Rhododendron and Andromeda polifolia, but have also been recorded on apple, blueberry and Red Oak. First instar larvae feed in a cluster side by side. Young larvae skeletonize the leaves and the larger ones eat the entire leaf.

External links

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