Taiwan yellow tussock moth
Females of this moth cover their egg clusters with detached body hairs, so the eggs themselves can irritate skin long before any caterpillar hatches.
| Where | Taiwan, the Ryukyu Islands and East Asia |
|---|---|
| Size | 21 to 31 mm wingspan |
| When | October to July |
Males have a wingspan of about 21 mm and females about 31 mm, with dark, hair-covered forewings and pale yellow tufts along the body. The caterpillar is patterned in black and orange with dense tufts of fine hairs.
Larvae are strongly polyphagous, recorded on more than fifty plant species from fig and mulberry to oak and mango, and populations can produce several generations across the year. The fine hairs on larvae, cocoons and adults detach easily and irritate skin on contact.
Traits
Habitat
Garden
Colour
Yellow, Brown
Active
Night
To people
Take care
Caterpillar, cocoon and egg hairs cause redness and itching on contact; avoid handling any life stage.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Smaller, with a wingspan of only about 13 to 18 mm, and plain, pale wings without the darker patches of the Taiwan yellow tussock moth.
Questions
Is the Taiwan yellow tussock moth dangerous to people?
Take care. Caterpillar, cocoon and egg hairs cause redness and itching on contact; avoid handling any life stage.
When can you see the Taiwan yellow tussock moth?
The Taiwan yellow tussock moth can be seen from October to July, at night.
Plate retouched from a museum specimen photo by Taiwan Biodiversity Research Institute, CC BY 4.0, GBIF Licence
Report a mistake in this entry
Butterflies and moths›Erebid moths›Euproctis
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.