Oakworm - Anisota senatoria

Moved to Anisota senatoria (complex)

Troy, I've just revamped the guide for this group a bit. I decided the most useful thing was to group the Orange-striped Oakworms (including three of your photos) under Anisota senatoria, the most widespread member of the group. A. peigleri is found in the Appalachian region, and may be what you have here. However the exact status of A. peigleri as a species is uncertain. I've tried to discuss this at length in the guide page. The caterpillars of this group are quite distinctive, and easily separable from the other Anisota. Since this is a pretty large genus, I believe we need as much classification as we can get.

Great photos, as always.

Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina

… Cotinis, 17 September, 2005 - 10:43am

Sure looks like senatoria or Peigler's.

By looking at the map on this site, they seem to be all around NC. I don't see why they can't be here as well....no confirmed sightings yet.

… Lynette Schimming, 11 August, 2005 - 12:47pm

Have reared this one, comments on Anisota species

These Anisota are abundant in my yard every fall in Durham. A couple of years back, I captured one that was wandering and it pupated in some soil in a terrarium. It emerged successfully, a female, and immediately there were two males on the top of the terrarium, even though it was broad daylight. I believe I got photos of the whole sequence--I'll have to dig out the slides and scan them.

Anisota are confusing. I've seen both the dark caterpillars above and the ligher ones with silvery spots,the presumed A. stigma. The adults all look alike to me, except for sex differences. I don't know how many species I'm seeing. NCSU Entomology lists: senatoria (11, no NC spec.), stigma (39 with NC specs.), and virginiensis (19 with NC specs.). We don't have A. consularis here--moths of North America and Covell says it is found farther to southeast.

I think I've found adult A. stigma--just got photos yesterday of a female, including hindwings. So I'm guessing the dark caterpillar is A. virginiensis? It will help to look at those photos of the reared cat and imago. On my "to do" list.

Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina

… Cotinis, 13 July, 2004 - 7:23am

Very confusing

Anisota is confusing indeed. I've been staring at the recently posted Anisota moths and then comparing with Covell and other sources and darned if I can figure out how to tell them apart.

The reason I left this one at the genus is because there's another species here in Georgia that I think looks pretty much identical: Anisota peigleri.

forestryimages.org has images of the larva and adults which again look pretty much like all the others. Interestingly they indicate their photos are from Cary, NC.

More photos at Georgia Lepidoptera.

… Troy Bartlett, 13 July, 2004 - 3:50pm

Aha! A. peigleri is perhaps what I'm seeing!

OK, Cary is about 5 miles from my house. Those critters at forestry images are probably the same darn things. They even point out how the caterpillars can be a nuisance--they are--my windshield gets covered by the frass--I park under a water oak, Quercus nigra.

Must be a new split. A question for "Mothman" Steve Hall. If it's moths, he knows it.

Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina

… Cotinis, 23 July, 2004 - 4:45pm