Schizura unicornis
| Schizura unicornis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Larva | |
 | |
| Adult | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Hexapoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Notodontidae |
| Genus: | Schizura |
| Species: | S. unicornis |
| Binomial name | |
| Schizura unicornis (J. E. Smith, 1797)[1][2] | |
| Synonyms | |
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Schizura unicornis, the unicorn caterpillar moth, unicorn prominent or variegated prominent, is a species of moth of the Notodontidae family. It is found in all of North America, except the arctic north.[3]
The wingspan is 24–35 mm.[4] The forewings are dark grey, variably shaded and marked with yellowish, rose and brown. The hindwings are dirty white, shaded with grey in males and dark grey in females. Adults are on wing from February to September in the south and from May to August in the north. There is one generation per year.
The larvae feed on Alnus, Malus, Populus tremuloides, Betula papyrifera, Ulmus, Crataegus, Carya and Salix species. They are brown, although the second and third thoracic segments are bright green. The head is mottled brown. Larvae can be found from May to October in the south and from June to September in the north. The species overwinters in the larval stage in a cocoon beneath leaf litter.