Mystery Moth
Posted by Keith Frisch on July 26, 2007
Q: Found this moth on the wall one night in July in SW Virginia.I've never seen one quite like it before and was hoping you could help identify it, thanks
Habitat: stream/river
State: Virginia
Habitat: stream/river
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A: I'm pretty sure about your moth ID, I'm quite sure of the genus but I could be off on the exact species. It looks to me like the Virgin Tiger Moth (Apantesis virgo). This is a beautiful moth whose larvae feed on pigweed and other low-growing plants. The tiger moths are in the same subfamily (Arctiinae in the family Arctiidae) as the Woolly Bears (Isabella Moth) and their larvae all have rather hairy bodies. There's a recent field guide out on insects that you may want to check out. The Kaufman "Field Guide to Insects of North America" is an excellent one to help with the ID of lots and lots of insects.
Thanks so much for asking.
John Wiessinger ( July 26, 2007)