The buck moth (Hemileuca maia)[1] is a common insect found in oak forests, stretching in the United States from peninsular Florida to New England, and as far west as Texas and Kansas.
[4] Subspecies Hemileuca maia menyanthevora, the bog buck moth, is federally endangered, and also protected by Canada and the state of New York.
[7] Mature larvae enter the soil or leaf litter to pupate in late July and emerge between October and the following February as moths to mate and lay eggs.
In Louisiana, particularly in cities such as Baton Rouge or New Orleans, where use of live oaks as street trees is extensive, the caterpillars can become a significant nuisance for humans.
[10] Fully grown caterpillars can reach a length of 2.5 inches and will use their small legs to move down to the ground where they will prepare to undergo metamorphosis into the adult buck moth.
[13][12] Once the caterpillars (larvae) reach their end instar stage they will pupate either in forest floor debris or by weaving a cocoon however the latter is more uncommon.
Buck moths are found to be the most abundant in habitats that contain large oak forests whether that be in the more northern parts of the Eastern United States or as far south as the gulf of Florida.
[18] As adults, Buck moths do not have mouthparts for feeding and therefore their focus is mostly on mating and laying eggs and so their behavior centers around their reproduction needs.
[19] One reason for the unusual flying behavior of the male Buck moth can be traced to the usage of pheromones by the females as a tool to attract a future mating partner.
[21] Interestingly enough, once the buck moths hatch from their eggs they exhibit a marching-like behavior as they choose to follow one leader in the group in a straight line.
[20] In urban settings, buck moths garner much attention during outbreaks as larval Hemileuca maia have a strong stinging ability that results in an unpleasant wound on the affected skin.
[23][24] The increased prevalence of these reported stings is an additional effect caused by the movement of buck moths to more urban locations due to the deforestation occurring in their normal habitats.
The virus embeds itself in the caterpillar's epidermis, fat, or tracheal matrix, causing the breakdown of the moth's body as well as vomiting and diarrhea, thus killing the insect.