# Ground Lackey

*Malacosoma castrensis*

Caterpillars build communal silk tents that function as miniature greenhouses, trapping solar heat to help them digest food during chilly spring mornings.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Lasiocampidae › Malacosoma
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Dry grasslands, coastal dunes, heathlands, and sunny meadows
- **Diet:** Larvae feed on low-growing plants including heather, wild rose, plantain, and bramble; adults do not feed.
- **Range:** Europe, Central Asia, Siberia
- **Size:** Wingspan of 28-40 mm; caterpillars grow up to 50 mm in length
- **Lifespan:** 1 year (adults live only 5-10 days)
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat loss due to intensive agriculture, overgrazing, and scrub encroachment.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless but defensive. The caterpillars are covered in fine, urticating hairs that can cause mild skin irritation or allergic reactions if handled. Observe their communal silken tents from a safe distance of 1-2 feet. If skin contact occurs, wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water and avoid touching your face.

## About

Malacosoma castrense (or Malacosoma castrensis ), the ground lackey , is a moth of the family Lasiocampidae. It is a tent caterpillar found in Europe.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/07dedcd1-ff5e-4424-b092-c39caaca612e
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/475345
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malacosoma castrensis
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/4743897/medium.jpg (Bernard DUPONT, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.