A tiger moth is most notable for its brightly colored wings. Their wing design can include a pattern of red, orange, green, white, and black. The tiger moth caterpillar is sometimes called a woolly bear because of its furry body. These moths live in gardens, meadows, and woodlands. Their wingspan ranges from 1.5 to 2 inches.

5 Incredible Tiger Moth Facts!

• There are 11,000 species of tiger moth in the world.
• They live in Canada, the United States, Europe, and Asia.
• This insect’s brightly colored wings serve as a signal to predators that it has a sour taste and is poisonous.
• A British airplane serving in the Royal Air Force in the 1930s took its name from this species.
• The population of this species is decreasing due to habitat loss and pesticide usage.
• The caterpillar form of the tiger moth is called a Wooly Bear. Wooly bears eat plants to survive.

Species, Types and Scientific Name

Arctia caja is the scientific name of a tiger moth. The word “arctia” is Latin meaning “furry bear.” This refers to the appearance of the caterpillar, also called a woolly bear. They belong to the Eribidae family and the class Insecta.

There are 11,000 species of tiger moths in the world. Two hundred and sixty of those species live in North America.

Some species, along with their scientific name, include:

• Isabella – Pyrrharctia isabella
• Scarlet – Callimorpha dominula
• Bella – Utetheisa ornatrix
• Ruby – Phragmatobia fuliginosa
• Giant leopard – Hypercompe scribonia
• Harnessed – Apantesis phalerata
• Yellow woolly bear Spilosoma virginica

Appearance:

There are thousands of species of Tiger Moths displaying different colors and patterns on their wings. The garden tiger moth has two brown wings featuring a pattern of thick, bright white lines. Its two hindwings are bright orange covered with black and blue spots. The bright colors serve as a warning to birds and other predators that this insect is poisonous. Stay away! When threatened, it releases a yellow, poisonous fluid from glands behind its head.

The garden tiger moth has a wingspan of 1.5 to 2 inches. The largest wingspan of this particular species can reach up to 2.6 inches.

A similar insect (though not in the same family) featuring brightly colored wings is the eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly. Its wingspan is much larger ranging from 3 inches to 5.5 inches.

This insect is solitary as are most moths. Despite the fact that their coloration serves as an excellent method of self-defense, these moths like to stay hidden.

Compared to an adult tiger moth, a woolly bear caterpillar has an easier time blending in with its environment because of its duller colors.

Habitat:

Garden tiger moths are found in Canada, the United States, Europe, Northern Asia, and Central Asia. Their habitats include woodlands, grasslands, gardens, and near rivers. They are found in temperate and cold climates.

Diet:

This species has different diets at different stages of its life. During the caterpillar stage, it is considered a herbivore. Alternatively, the adults are considered nectarivores.

What eats tiger moths?

This species has very few predators due to the poison it can release. However, there are some small birds that are able to eat them without being harmed.

It would seem logical to include bats as predators of this species. After all, they are both active at night. But the tiger moth has the ability to make clicking sounds that interfere with a bat’s echolocation. In short, these sounds confuse a bat as it is using echolocation to determine the location of its prey.

What do tiger moths eat?

Adult tiger moths survive on a diet of nectar obtained from flowers. A woolly bear caterpillar eats plants such as asters, dandelions, clover, and goldenrod among many others.

In addition, woolly bear caterpillars eat toxic plants including foxglove. Eating these plants allows them to take in the toxins they’ll use as protection against predators when they become adults.

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