Arctiidae

noun

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The Arctiidae are members of the Superfamily Noctuoidea. Worldwide in distribution, moths of this family are richest in the tropics. The small to medium-sized adults are often white, yellow, orange, or red with black markings on the forewings. Some adults are day-fliers, while others are nocturnal. Larvae are typically very hairy; some tiger moth larvae are called "woolly bears." Larvae feed on lichens as well as herbaceous and woody plants, and some species are forest pests. Pupation takes place in cocoons made of matted larval hair and little or no silk.