The rough prominent (Nadata gibbosa) is a moth of the family Notodontidae, subfamilyPhalerinae. It is also known as the white-dotted prominent and the tawny prominent. The species was first describedbyJames Edward Smith in 1797. This common moth is found across North America from the northern boreal forests to as far south as Florida. It is most common in deciduous forests at some elevation. It is nocturnal but attracted to lights. The moths start to fly soon after dusk and return to resting places some time before dawn breaks (Fullard & Napoleone 2001). The adults live through late spring and early summer, and larvae are active until fall. They then pupate until the following spring.
The moth is tan or dull orange, with two small silver spots on each forewing. The wingspan is approximately 2 inches (5 cm). It sports a pointed thoracic tuft between its wings.
The larva is blue green, turning bright green as it approaches pupation age. It has a large head capsule, yellow mandibles, and yellow longitudinal stripes down its body. It feeds on the leaves of oaks and other deciduous trees (see list below). The larva is sometimes called the green oak caterpillar.
Fullard, James H. & Napoleone, Nadia (2001): Diel flight periodicity and the evolution of auditory defences in the Macrolepidoptera. Animal Behaviour62 (2): 349–368. doi:10.1006/anbe.2001.1753PDF fulltext
