Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFErebidae Members:
Apantesis Members:
303 NC Records

Apantesis vittata (Fabricius, 1787) - Banded Tiger Moth

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: ErebidaeSubfamily: ArctiinaeTribe: ArctiiniP3 Number: 930279.00 MONA Number: 8170.00
Comments: The genus Apantesis is represented by 43 species in North America, including 13 species in North Carolina.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1960)Technical Description, Immature Stages: (Larval descriptions appear to be lacking)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Species of Apantesis and Grammia resemble one another, but Apantesis are generally smaller and the the pattern of yellow lines is usually much more reduced, with the median, lower portion of the post-median, and fine vein lines always missing in Apantesis; a good quality photograph showing the forewing pattern is usually enough to distinguish between these genera. However, the hindwings must also be visible to distinguish between the species of Apantesis, and even then only the males can usually be diagnosed; photographs must show the hindwings to be acceptable as records for this genus.

Male vittata are usually recognizable by having red hindwings with a broad, confluent band of black in the sub-terminal area. In carlotta and phalerata, the color of the male hindwings is usually pale yellow or orange, or cream-color with a reddish wash, and the black area in the sub-terminal is virtually always broken into discrete spots. Male nais that have a bright yellow hindwing with large subterminal spots are easy to distinguish from vittata. However, nais also has forms that have reddish or reddish yellow hindwings, some with broadly confluent subterminal black bands; while noticeably larger in some cases, these forms can be difficult to identify, as can specimens of vittata that have some yellow shading in their hindwings and have their sub-terminal bands more broken into separate spots. Unfortunately, dissection does not provide a more definitive identification: the features of the valves and aedeagus in vittata, nais, and carlotta are all similar, or show similar patterns of variation. Females of vittata are similar to those of phalerata and nais, having a highly reduced set of pale lines on the forewings and broad, confluent black bands along the outer and inner margins of the hindwing. All three of these species can also have red or pink in the medial and basal areas of the hindwing and it is probably better to rely on males -- which are more often captured in any case -- for identifications.
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].
Immatures and Development: Larvae are black and covered with brown to black bristles; a pale dorsal line is often present (Forbes, 1960). According to Forbes, the larvae of phalerata and vittata are indistinguishable, making rearing necessary to determine their identities.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
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)

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