Species Spilosoma dubia - Dubious Tiger Moth - Hodges#8136

8136

Spilosoma dubia (Walker, 1855)

wingspan 32-38 mm

Wings white, with heavy black spotting on forewing and variable black subterminal patches on hindwing. Abdomen with yellow areas & black spots.(1)

Canada & eastern US, but rare south of New York(1)

According to Dale Schweitzer, the species "actually does not occur at all in the vast majority of the US range shown" in the Peterson Guide. "Basically, it occurs across Canada and adjacent counties in US, then again from southeastern NC to FL, and not in between". The southern Coastal Plain part of the range apparently extends as far west as eastern Texas. Schweitzer suggests that the southern coastal plain entity may in fact be a different species than the northern Canadian zone entity. The Moth Photographers Group map for the species shows numerous "dots" in the area between these two populations, which are certainly based on misidentifications of similar species.

May-July

wild cherry

Agreeable Tiger Moth - Spilosoma congrua

Is distinguished by having an all-white abdomen.

Fall Webworm Moth - Hyphantria cunea

Has a row of small spots on the dorsal abdomen.

Moth Photographers Group (MPG)