Virgin tiger moth facts for kids

Grammia virgo, the virgin tiger moth, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. It is found in North America from Newfoundland south to Florida west to Alberta.

The wingspan is about 56 mm. The colour of the hindwings varies from yellow to scarlet, with one or more median dark blotches in addition to the discal spot.

The larvae feed on various low-growing plants, including Thermopsis rhombifolia and Plantago species. The species overwinters in the larval stage.

Subspecies

• Grammia virgo virgo (from the Great Lakes region and Atlantic seaboard south through New England, to at least West Virginia. In the west, the range extends to north-eastern British Columbia)
• Grammia virgo gigas B. C. Schmidt, 2009 (south-eastern United States, including the Great Smoky Mountains, south to Georgia and northern Florida)