Everyone knows about the monarch butterfly and the milkweed plant. But the monarch is not the only one who depends on it. Flip a milkweed leaf over sometime and look closely at what you find underneath.
The Milkweed Tussock Moth
Milkweed tussock moths lay their clusters of tiny white eggs on the undersides of milkweed leaves, keeping them hidden and safe while they wait to hatch. When they do, the caterpillars that emerge are some of the most wonderfully fuzzy and dramatic looking creatures in the northeastern woodland, banded in black, white, and orange tufts that make them look like tiny punk rockers wandering across the leaf surface. They munch through the milkweed leaves together, growing fat and happy, before transforming into spotted, fuzzy adult moths of quiet and overlooked beauty.
They are also essential. Milkweed tussock moths are native pollinators. Their caterpillars are a critical food source for native baby birds during the breeding season. And they are one of the reasons why a healthy milkweed patch matters far beyond just the monarchs it supports. Every creature in that little ecosystem depends on every other one.
Most people have never heard of the milkweed tussock moth. That is exactly why I made this hair comb.
The Hair Comb
She looks as though she just landed on this milkweed leaf and folded her wings to rest for a moment. Her detailed sterling silver wings are spread open, every vein hand carved into the surface. Her body is dark and fuzzy with tiny gold dots running along her abdomen. Her antennae curl upward delicately. She is completely, quietly beautiful in the way that most moths are if you stop to look.
The milkweed leaf she rests on is about 3 inches across, oxidized to capture the characteristic dark patches that real milkweed leaves develop, with every vein pressed into the silver. The sterling silver comb teeth curve beneath it ready to tuck into your hair and hold her gently in place.
And on the back of the leaf, hidden from view, is the cluster of eggs she just laid. Only you will know they are there.
- Leaf size: About 3 inches across
- Material: Sterling silver throughout
- Detail: Hidden egg cluster on the back of the leaf
- Style: Decorative hair comb
Start a Conversation
I made this piece because I wanted to depict an animal that most people have never seen celebrated in jewelry before, something that would make people stop and ask questions. When someone says "oh is that a butterfly or a moth in your hair?" you get to tell them everything. Tell them about the milkweed tussock moth. Tell them how they lay their eggs on the undersides of milkweed leaves. Tell them how their caterpillars feed the baby birds. Tell them how they are quiet and essential and completely overlooked and absolutely worth knowing about. You do the rest for these wonderful tiny creatures. That is the whole point.
One of a Kind
There is only one of this hair comb in the world. When it finds its home it will never be made again exactly like this.
A Note from Tamara
I made this piece while thinking about all the creatures that depend on milkweed beyond the monarchs we already love so well. The milkweed tussock moth deserves her moment. She deserves to be noticed and celebrated and worn in someone's hair at a dinner party while they tell everyone within earshot exactly why she matters. I hope she finds exactly that person.
Shipping
Your milkweed tussock moth and her milkweed leaf are finished, packaged safely, and will be on their way to you within 3 to 5 business days. The perfect gift for the nature lover who wants to wear something nobody else has.