The Virginian tiger moth is a strikingly beautiful insect that enchants nature enthusiasts with its pristine white wings and a fascinating life cycle. In this article, we introduce you to the captivating characteristics, habitat, and lifecycle of this remarkable moth, uncovering the secrets behind its ethereal beauty.
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Erebidae
Subfamily: Arctiinae
Genus: Spilosoma
Virginian tiger moth is pure white
The Virginian tiger moth has a distinctive appearance compared to other tiger moth species. It comes in a pure white color with few or no black spots along the wings. Their legs are also white and adorned with black spots. From a ventral view, you can see yellow-orange patches near the head, along with black dots on both sides of the thorax. Some individuals may also have larger black spots on the underside of the hindwings.
The adult moth has a size of about 17mm to 26mm (0.66″ to 1.02″) in length. They tend to tent their wings over their back rather than spreading them. These species fly in a zigzag pattern, mostly in males
The caterpillar of this insect is a orange or yellow color. It’s coated in thin, long, dark hairs with bristles that are not poisonous but can cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals.
Habitat
The Virginian tiger moth is widely distributed across temperate North America, from coast to coast. In the western United States, it ranges from north-central British Columbia to central California. This species is common and abundant at lower elevations throughout its range.
The moth inhabits a variety of environments, including woodlands, forests, fields, and gardens. In the Pacific Northwest, it is found in coastal grasslands, coastal rainforests, mixed hardwood forests, and conifer forests west of the Cascades. East of the Cascades, it occupies moist hardwood forests, wet meadows in riparian zones along creeks, and even disturbed agricultural and urban areas.
Diet
The adult virgin moths feed on the nectar of various flowers. As caterpillars, these yellow woolly bears primarily eat the leaves of a variety of plants including aster, daisy, goldenrods, herbs, legumes, and different grasses. They completely skeletonize the foliage, leaving just the veins.
Life cycle
The life cycle of the Virginian tiger moth consists of four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
It starts with the female moths laying eggs on the underside of leaves in groups of 20-100. These eggs which are translucent and spherical in shape hatch into caterpillars.
The caterpillars, also known as the yellow woolly bear or yellow bear caterpillars, are densely covered with long, orange, or yellow hairs and feed on leaves, primarily skeletonizing the foliage. The larval stage lasts for several months with about 6 molts. The caterpillar can grow up to several inches long before spinning a cocoon and entering the pupal stage.
After 2 – 3 weeks in the cocoon, the adult moths emerge. The moths have 2 generations per year, with one hibernating for the winter in temperate climates. The first generation emerges in May, and the second in August. The larvae that emerge in the summer are the ones that cause the most damage to crops. The lifespan of these Virginian tiger moths is relatively short, about 1-2 weeks.
