Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFErebidae Members: Spilosoma Members: 83 NC Records

Spilosoma dubia (Walker, 1855) - Dubious Tiger Moth


Spilosoma dubiaSpilosoma dubiaSpilosoma dubia
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Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea
Family:
Erebidae
Subfamily:
Arctiinae
Tribe:
Arctiini
P3 Number:
930310
MONA Number:
8136.00
Comments: One of eight species in this genus that occur north of Mexico and one of four species found in North Carolina
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1960)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Forbes (1960); Wagner (2005)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: This is the most heavily spotted of our species of Spilosoma, with black spotting on both the fore- and hindwings. It can be distinguished from S. congrua, which can have similar spotting on the forewings (but only rare spotting on the hindwings), by a pattern of orange patches and black spots on the dorsal side of the abdomen, which is pure white in congrua. The pattern of yellow and black on the abdomen is shared with S. virginica and Estigmene acrea, but is more obscured in dubia by an overlay of longer white hair. Dubia is much more heavily spotted than virginica, which usually has only a couple of small dots on the forewings (as well as on the hindwings). Estigmene is much larger and has proportionately longer wings than the Spilosomas and has smoother, shorter hair on the thorax, which is usually fluffy-looking in Spilosoma.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].
Immatures and Development: Larvae are similar to those of other Spilosomas ("Yellow Bears"), but have yellow dorsal and sub-dorsal stripes, with reddish-brown hair and black warts and spiracles (Forbes, 1960; Wagner, 2005).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Appears to be restricted to the Coastal Plain, including the Outer Coastal Plain and barrier islands as well as the Fall-line Sandhills
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Spilosoma dubiaAlamance 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.
Immature 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: immatures.
Flight Comments: Has a single spring flight in North Carolina
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: The majority of our records come from Longleaf Pine habitats, primarily savannas and flatwoods but with a significant number from dry-to-xeric sandhills. It also makes at least some use of pure peatlands and maritime forests.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are probably polyphagous, feeding on many species of herbaceous and woody plants (Wagner, 2005). Forbes (1960) stated that one did well on plantain (Plantago sp.). The habitat restrictions suggest there may be some association with heaths or hollies, which are among the few plants that are found in Longleaf Pine communities, peatlands, and maritime forests. In North Carolina, J.B. Sullivan recorded a larva on Bluejack Oak (Quercus incana). - View
Observation Methods: Comes well to blacklights, with up to 39 having been collected in a single trap; not recorded at bait.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for Coastal Plain Wet Acidic Shrublands
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: W-PK
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 S3?
State Protection: Currently placed on the NHP Watch List as W3: seemingly rare species that are too poorly known to assess their conservation status in North Carolina. Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: This species appears to be somewhat specialized in terms of its habitat use, with most of its habitats having undergone severe reduction due to habitat conversion and fire suppression. Probably vulnerable to the effects of habitat fragmentation but still found over a large area of the Coastal Plain, at least in large tracts of natural habitat.

 Photo Gallery for Spilosoma dubia - Dubious Tiger Moth

Photos: 26
Spilosoma dubiaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-02
Wilson Co.
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Spilosoma dubiaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-02
Wilson Co.
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Spilosoma dubiaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-27
Brunswick Co.
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Spilosoma dubiaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-27
Brunswick Co.
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Spilosoma dubiaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-26
Brunswick Co.
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Spilosoma dubiaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-23
Brunswick Co.
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Spilosoma dubiaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-23
Brunswick Co.
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Spilosoma dubiaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2024-04-07
Carteret Co.
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Spilosoma dubiaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2024-04-07
Carteret Co.
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Spilosoma dubiaRecorded by: John Petranka, Chuck Smith on 2024-03-14
Bladen Co.
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Spilosoma dubiaRecorded by: John Petranka, Chuck Smith on 2024-03-14
Bladen Co.
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Spilosoma dubiaRecorded by: John Petranka, Chuck Smith on 2024-03-13
Bladen Co.
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Spilosoma dubiaRecorded by: Morgan Freese on 2021-04-08
New Hanover Co.
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Spilosoma dubiaRecorded by: Morgan Freese on 2021-04-08
New Hanover Co.
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Spilosoma dubiaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2021-03-25
Brunswick Co.
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Spilosoma dubiaRecorded by: J.B. Sullivan on 2020-05-01
Carteret Co.
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Spilosoma dubiaRecorded by: J.B. Sullivan on 2020-05-01
Carteret Co.
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Spilosoma dubiaRecorded by: Mark Shields on 2020-03-28
Onslow Co.
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Spilosoma dubiaRecorded by: j.wyche on 2017-03-26
Gates Co.
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Spilosoma dubiaRecorded by: Paul Scharf on 2015-05-01
Warren Co.
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Spilosoma dubiaRecorded by: Paul Scharf on 2015-05-01
Warren Co.
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Spilosoma dubiaRecorded by: Paul Scharf on 2015-05-01
Warren Co.
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Spilosoma dubiaRecorded by: Paul Scharf on 2015-05-01
Warren Co.
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Spilosoma dubiaRecorded by: Paul Scharf on 2015-04-17
Warren Co.
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Spilosoma dubiaRecorded by: T. DeSantis on 2011-04-08
Camden Co.
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Spilosoma dubiaRecorded by: Steve Hall on 2008-04-12
Brunswick Co.
Comment: Identity verified by examination of the abdomen