tussock moth

noun

any of several moths of the family Lymantriidae, the larvae of which have characteristic tufts of hair on the body and feed on the leaves of various deciduous trees.

tussock moth

any of various pale or dull-coloured moths of the family Lymantriidae (or Laparidae ), the hairy caterpillars of which are pests of many trees See also gipsy moth brown-tail moth goldtail moth

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First recorded in 1820–30

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C19: so named because of the tufts of hair on the caterpillars

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Among these pests, the most important to the dweller in a large city is the tussock moth, which destroys our shade trees.

As outdoor work, look for the egg masses on trees and fences and devise means of combating the tussock-moth.

These are the white-marked tussock moth, the rusty tussock moth, and the definite-marked tussock moth.

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