Moths of North Carolina
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
« »
View PDFErebidae Members:
Apantesis Members:
130 NC Records

Apantesis virgo (Linnaeus, 1758) - Virgin Tiger Moth

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: ErebidaeSubfamily: ArctiinaeTribe: ArctiiniP3 Number: 930244.00 MONA Number: 8197.00 MONA Synonym: Grammia virgo
Comments: The genus Apantesis is represented by 43 species in North America, including 13 species in North Carolina. Our populations may all belong to subspecies gigas, recently described by Schmidt (2009). This form is much larger and more intensely colored than the nominate subspecies, which occurs across Canada and extends southward in the East to at least West Virginia.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1960); Schmidt (2009)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Forbes (1960); Wagner (2005)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A boldly marked Tiger Moth and the largest species in this genus. Easily recognizable from a good quality photograph where both the hindwings and forewings are in view. The hindwings are usually red or pink (rarely yellow) and have a row of black spots located along both the outer margin and in the ante-median area, the second of which is missing in the similarly colored A. parthenice. The forewings are black with both narrow yellow lines along the veins and a set of broader yellow bands running longitudinally and transversely. In A. virgo, the post-median line (terminology following Schmidt, 2009) is strongly bent at the middle, similarly to A. anna but contrasting with A. parthenice, whose post-median is much straighter. In A. virgo, the line running along the median vein is usually wider than the one along the anal vein, whereas in A. parthenice (and apparently A. anna), these two lines are both equally thin (Schmidt, 2009).
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 bristly, with orange-brown spiracles; setae on below the spiracles may be orange (Wagner, 2005). Apantesis larvae are generally similar to one another (Wagner, 2005) and should be reared in order to determine their identity.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Probably occurs statewide except possibly on the Outer Banks and other barrier islands
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)

Click on graph to enlarge