Virginian Tiger Moth Caterpillar - Spilosoma virginicaIn continued celebration of the Lunar New Year

Virginian Tiger Moth Caterpillar - Spilosoma virginicaIn continued celebration of the Lunar New Year, here we have another wonderous insect that bears the namesake of the tiger! Unlike the swift and ferocious Twelve-Spotted Tiger Beetle showcased earlier this week, this insect was chosen as it embodies the fur coat and beautiful qualities of the tiger. Furthermore, as this insect matures into a soft, white Moth and becomes more majestic, it also receives a subtle patch of orange and black striping on the sides of its abdomen, just like its namesake. Orange, black and white; that’s definitely a tiger! It seems that’s the reason why the Tiger Moth subfamily (Arctiina) received that common name: due to the patterns featured on the wings and/or bodies of the mature adults. Other species embody these tiger-resembling colors much more closely, but hey, the insect world is grand and varied in many a way we’re still figuring out. Although, it’s worth pointing out that the name Arctiina (and by extension the tribe Arctiini) actually is derived from bears rather than tigers, named from the woolly appearance of their Caterpillars. Indeed, there’s a lot of little hiccups like this, but we can manage the nomenclature.If you’re searching for Tiger Moth with coloring more representative of the animal it’s named after, consider looking at the Isabella Tiger Moth (which features magnificent orange plumage in adulthood. It’s young Caterpillars also feature orange in their soft fluff. Meanwhile, this individual certainly shows off a lovely hairy coat of pristine white. Its soft to the touch and very pleasant to gently pet. The Caterpillar didn’t seem too bothered, but do remember to treat them with respect. They are soft herbivores crawling through a big world, so they may retreat if they have to. When not hiding away, this fluffy thing scuttles around to find leaves to skeletonize until it’s time to encase itself in a cocoon as it awaits adulthood. Accounts are mixed on what it eats, perhaps indicating that it’s a generalist, but there is a consensus that it likes low-growing vegetation and that a few individuals aren’t enough to be seen as a garden or wilderness pest. I’m currently investigating a report that this insect can be raised on milkweed (which if true is good news for the future Caterpillars in the front yard), but I have my doubts. Although if the Milkweed Tussock Moth (a fellow tiger moth with a yellow coloration) can be raised on milkweed, maybe it’s a possibility. We’ll have to see where this thread leads.Pictures were taken on July 5, 2020 with a Google Pixel 4. Happy Year of the Tiger everyone! May all your efforts succeed and best of luck finding all the tiger-inspired insects that you can! -- source link

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