The Limacodidae or Eucleidae are a family of moths in the superfamily Zygaenoidea or the Cossoidea; [2] the placement is in dispute. They are often called slug moths because their caterpillars bear a distinct resemblance to slugs. [3] They are also called cup moths because of the shape of their cocoons. [3]

Nov 12, 2017 · Family name Limacodidae is from Limacodes (author?), which was a genus name for a number of species in this family, but is now (apparently) no longer in use. That from limac/limax a snail or slug, plus suffix -odes form . This clearly refers to the caterpillars.

Description of Limacodidae The Limacodids are members of the Superfamily Zygaenoidea, and there are about fifty North American species in this family. They are medium to medium-small moths with stout, often hairy bodies, and broad, rounded wings.

Slug caterpillar moth, (family Limacodidae), any of approximately 1,000 species of insects (order Lepidoptera) that are widely distributed throughout the world but are concentrated in the tropics. These moths are named after their short, fleshy, sluglike caterpillars.

The Limacodidae or Euclidae are a family of moths in the superfamily Zygaenoidea or the Cossoidea; the placement is in dispute. They are often called slug moths because their caterpillars bear a distinct resemblance to slugs. They are also called cup moths because of the shape of their cocoons.

Limacodidae occur worldwide with around 1800 described species and many more undescribed. They mostly occur in the tropics. They are called cup moths because of the cup-like shape of the cocoons when missing their lids after adults emerge; the other common names (see above) refer to the distinctive and often painfully urticating caterpillars.

Description: Small to medium-sized moths with a stout body and a dense covering of hairs and scales. Front wings, held tent-like over the body, are usually dark brown and marked with an irregular spot of contrasting color. Antennae of male are bipectinate. Larvae are fleshy and slug-like with stinging hairs.

Slug caterpillar moths, family Limacodidae, total 1,104 known species worldwide, the largest family of Cossoidea, mostly tropical and especially biodiverse in the Oriental tropics; likely world total is near 1,600 species or more.

The weird caterpillars of the moth family Limacodidae are known as slug caterpillars. The head capsule is complete, but it is usually withdrawn and concealed in the prothorax. The thoracic legs are small, and the abdominal segments lack the fleshy prolegs found in most caterpillars.

They are multicellular in origin, typically having a large poison-secreting cell surrounded by supporting cells. They are characteristic of slug caterpillars of the genus Latoia, family Limacodidae, where they occur on the ninth segment of the last larval instar. Type 5 (starlike hair).