Tiger+Moth-+Alyssa



The tiger moth is from the family Arctiidae. It has black wings with large orange/yellow spots and the forewings have five large oval yellow spots. They are poisonous and taste really bad to predators. T he Tiger moth also has two special organs, one called Tymbal on its Meta thorax which vibrates to produce high pitch sounds that humans can’t hear. The second is a Tympanal organ on its thorax which is like a pair of ears which means the moth has really good hearing.
 * Introduction **

The tiger moth is medium to large with a wingspan of about 54mm, as an adult they have a thick furry body. The head is black, the thorax is mainly black with a yellow band at the front, and the abdomen is yellow with black stripes. That is how they got their name “ tiger moth". The caterpillars are covered in dark hair, which gives them the name "Woolly Bears". The caterpillars are small to medium in size. The caterpillars are usually active during the daytime. They make their cocoons from silk and cover them with their hair. They can be found on bark or leaves or on the ground.
 * Anatomy **

**Habitat** The tiger moth is very common. You can find them on the coastal areas of eastern Australia, but also they can be found in other countries around the world. They are usually found on or near the plants and trees they eat.

Tiger Moth don’t really have many predators because they taste really bad, any birds and lizards that might try usually spit them out which allows them to escape. When they are caterpillars they eat a wide variety of grass, weeds, clover, dandelions, sunflowers, nettles and the leaves of trees and smaller shrubs. When they are a moth they drink nectar from flowers.
 * Feeding and Predators**

= Food Chain  =





**Reproduction** The male tiger moth flies around looking for a female tiger moth. The female tiger moth has a smell which the male tiger moth likes. Once a male finds the female, he follows it until she stops on the ground. During mating, the male tiger moth gives out a special fluid that the female tiger moth uses to help produce eggs. After mating the female lays up to 100 eggs in a single layer on the bottom of a leaf.

**Lifecycle** The life of a tiger moth begins when the moth lays eggs on a plant. A few days later, the eggs hatch and the larve begin to feed on that plant. The larve eat and eat and when they have eaten enough, they find a safe spot to build their cocoons and pupate. They can be in the cocoon for a few weeks. The adult tiger moth comes out of the cocoon and the lifecycle starts again.










 * Did you Know?**
 * When attacked by bats tiger moths don’t drop to the ground like other moths. Instead they have a high pitch clicking sound. The clinking sound upsets the bats and they can’t fly properly.
 * If you touch a tiger moth caterpillar it can cause an itchy rash.
 * Caterpillar poo is called “Frass”.
 * The female tiger moth lives between 3 and 6 weeks only.