Grammia virguncula

Grammia virguncula, the little virgin tiger moth, is a moth of the family Erebidae. It was described by W. Kirby in 1837. It is found across most of southern Canada and the United States, from the Rocky Mountains eastward. In the north, the range extends to northern Alberta and Newfoundland. In the south, it occurs along the Rocky Mountain to Apache County in Arizona and New Jersey in the east. It occurs in a variety of open wooded habitats, ranging from marshes, fens and bogs to transition parkland and prairie.

Little virgin tiger moth
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Erebidae
Subfamily: Arctiinae
Genus: Grammia
Species:
G. virguncula
Binomial name
Grammia virguncula
(W. Kirby, 1837)
Synonyms
  • Callimorpha virguncula Kirby, 1837
  • Apantesis virguncula
  • Euprepia virguncula var. otiosa Neumögen & Dyar, 1893

The length of the forewings is 13.9–20.5 mm. The forewings are black dorsally with yellowish buff to pale whitish buff lines and bands. The hindwings are yellow with black markings. Adults are generally on wing from mid June to late July, although there are records from late May to late August.[1]

The larvae feed on various herbaceous plants, particularly species of the family Asteraceae.[2] Records include dandelion, knotweed and plantain.[3]

References
  1. Schmidt, B.C. 2009: Taxonomic revision of the genus Grammia Rambur (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Arctiinae). Zoological journal of the Linnean Society, 156: 507-597. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2008.00496.x
  2. Pacific Northwest Moths
  3. Bug Guide


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