Identification
Adult: forewing similar to A. phalerata; hindwing usually has more reddish shading and broader, more solid black border; no form has entirely yellow hindwing
Also extremely similar to the Nais Tiger Moth, which replaces this species to the North and west of the Appalachian Mountains. In areas where both species could occur, dissection is recommended to distinguish between them.
Range
Texas to Florida, north along the Atlantic Coastal Plain to at least North Carolina; has not been recorded in Canada
Season
Adults fly from March to October.
Food
Larvae feed on dandelions and other herbs.
See Also
Harnessed Tiger Moth (
A. phalerata) forewing is virtually identical to
A. vittata but hindwing is usually more yellowish than reddish, with little or no black edging.
Nais Tiger Moth cannot be reliably separated from this species without dissection, but their ranges have minimal overlap; nais is virtually absent from the Gulf Coast and Florida, and vittata does not occur in the Appalachians, or to the north and west of them.
Print References
Covell, p. 69, plate 15 #5, 7
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