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.

Origin of tussock moth

First recorded in 1820–30

Example sentences from the Web for tussock moth

British Dictionary definitions for tussock moth

tussock moth

noun

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

Word Origin for tussock moth

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