Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFSaturniidae Members: Anisota Members: 68 NC Records

Anisota senatoria (J.E. Smith, 1797) - Orange-tipped Oakworm Moth

Anisota senatoria
view caption 		Anisota senatoria
view caption 		Anisota senatoria
view caption
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Bombycoidea		 Family:
Saturniidae		Subfamily:
Caratocaminae		P3 Number:
890018		 MONA Number:
7719.00		 Other Common Name:
Orange-striped Oakworm
Comments: One of four species in this genus that occur in North Carolina. Tuskes et al. (1996) placed senatoria and peigleri in the same species group (Senatoria), along with finlaysoni, which occurs in Canada.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1923), Ferguson (1971), Tuskes et al. (1996)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Forbes (1923), Ferguson (1971), Covell (1984), Tuskes et al. (1996), Wagner (2005)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Few, if any, characters exist that can be used to distinguish adult senatoria from peigleri (Tuskes et al., 1996). Females are also similar in color and possession of dark speckling to females of Anisota stigma and can be difficult to distinguish unless the hindwings are clearly in view: in senatoria, the hindwings are paler in color than the forewings and have only a faint trace of a medial line if any; in stigma, both sets of wings are similar in color and there is a definite medial line (Forbes, 1923; Ferguson, 1971). Males, like those of A. viginiensis and peigleri, are believed to be bee mimics, possessing translucent forewings and flying only during the day (Tuskes et al., 1996). Males of senatoria tend to have less transparent forewings than virginiensis and have straighter outer margins on both sets of wings (slightly concave in the hindwings; see illustrations in Covell, 1984).
Wingspan: 40 mm, males; 50 mm, females (Forbes, 1923)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].
Immatures and Development: Larvae -- Orange-tipped Oakworms -- are quite distinctive, possessing conspicuous longitudinal orange to yellow stripes on a black ground color, and lacking the small white tubercles found in A. stigma and virginiesis (Forbes, 1923; Ferguson, 1971; Tuskes et al, 1996; Wagner, 2005). Larvae of A. peigleri have similar yellow-on-black lines but possess a prominent rows of dorsolateral spines and generally have longer spines overall (Tuskes et al., 1996; Wagner, 2005).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Probably occurs in all areas of the state except the High Mountains, where oaks become scarce
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Anisota senatoriaAlamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New%20Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: adults.