Moths of North Carolina

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Spilosoma virginica (Fabricius, 1798) - Virginian Tiger Moth

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Noctuoidea

Family:
Erebidae

Subfamily:
Arctiinae

Tribe:
Arctiini

P3 Number:
930316

MONA Number:
8137.00

Other Common Name:
Yellow Bear

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, BOLD

Technical Description, Adults: Forbes (1960)

Technical Description, Immature Stages: Forbes (1960); Wagner (2005)

Adult Markings: This species has nearly all white wings, with usually just a few small black dots on the forewing (often just a dot at the lower angle of the cell) and just one or two spots on the hindwing (Forbes, 1960). Spilosoma virginica can be distinguished from S. latipennis by the yellow rather than pink hair on the fore-legs and by a pattern of yellow patches and black spots on the upperside of the abdomen. The abdominal pattern also distinguishes S. virginica from S. congrua and Hyphantria cunea, both of which have pure white abdomens and are often much more heavily spotted. Spilosoma dubia is much more heavily marked on the forewings with black spots, but has a similar pattern of yellow and black patches on the abdomen, although usually more obscured by a layer of longer white hair. Estigmene acrea, another white tiger moth with black spots on its forewings, is much bigger, longer-winged, and usually more heavily spotted than S. virginica.

Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].

Immatures and Development: The larvae, known as Yellow Bears, are covered by soft, long hair that varies in color from whitish to yellowish or reddish-brown; distinguished from the similar larvae of S. congrua by hairs that are very uneven in length, with the longest ones extending outward about the width of three abdominal segments. The head is all dark and the spiracles are white (Forbes, 1960; Wagner, 2005).

Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Probably occurs statewide

County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.


Flight Dates: High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft. Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft. Piedmont (Pd) Coastal Plain (CP) Click on graph to enlarge
Immature Dates: High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft. Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft. Piedmont (Pd) Coastal Plain (CP) Click on graph to enlarge
Flight Comments: Appears to be present throughout most of the growing season, with two or three peaks in activity in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Wagner (2005) lists fields, gardens, bottomlands, woodlands, and forests as habitats used by this species. In North Carolina, it occurs in a wide variety of open and forested habitats, including dune grasslands and maritime forests on the barrier islands; Longleaf Pine savannas, flatwoods, and sandhills; peatlands; floodplains; and mesic- to dry-hardwood forests.

Larval Host Plants: Larvae are highly polyphagous, like other members of this genus, feeding on a wide range of herbaceous and woody plants (Forbes, 1960; Wagner, 2005). In North Carolina, larvae have been recorded feeding on ragweed (Ambrosia sp.), Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), beggarticks (Bidens sp.), Lamb's-quarters (Chenopodium album), Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus), tickseed (Coreopsis sp.), joe-pye-weed (Eutrochium sp.), Smooth Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens), Northern Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), White Sweetclover (Melilotus albus), Basil (Ocimum basilicum), Common Plantain (Plantago major), Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata), Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum), wild-petunia (Ruellia sp.), dock (Rumex sp.), willow (Salix sp.), Sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia), Sida, Eggplant (Solanum melongena), vervain (Verbena), Wingstem (Verbesina alternifolia), Yellow Crownbeard (V. occidentalis), Giant Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea), New York Ironweed (V. noveboracensis), Wisteria, and cocklebur (Xanthium sp.) - View

Observation Methods: This species comes well to black lights, with up to 37 having been collected in a single trap; not recorded at bait.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Forests and Fields

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S5]

State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands

Comments: This is one of our most abundant and ubiquitous species, occurring in most open and wooded habitats across the state. It appears to be quite secure.

Photo Gallery for Spilosoma virginica - Virginian Tiger Moth

137 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-23 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Beck on 2025-06-21 Pasquotank Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-23 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-23 Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-23 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-21 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-07 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-01 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Miles Buddy on 2025-04-26 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Miles Buddy on 2025-04-26 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-20 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-04-15 Bladen Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-04-15 Bladen Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-15 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-15 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2024-09-21 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-08-27 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-08-27 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-08-06 Mitchell Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-08-06 Mitchell Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-07-27 Madison Co. Comment: Larva was feeding on White Sweetclover (Melilotus albus).		Recorded by: David George on 2024-07-20 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-07-06 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-07-06 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Tina Fulcher on 2024-06-28 Davidson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Tina Fulcher on 2024-06-28 Davidson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Tina Fulcher on 2024-06-28 Davidson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2024-06-27 Graham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2024-06-27 Graham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Donald Zepp on 2024-05-31 Wayne Co. Comment: