Bug FAQCalifornia Tiger Moth
Leptarctia californiae · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
The forewings measure about 12 to 17 mm in length. It lives in open forests, meadows and clearings in mountainous areas.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Forewing length is 12 to 17 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It inhabits open forests, meadows and clearings in mountainous regions.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 11 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Same family (Erebidae)
Spongy MothLymantria disparDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Webworm MothHyphantria cuneaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Brown-tail MothEuproctis chrysorrhoeaCan irritate skin
Isabella Tiger MothPyrrharctia isabella
Virginian Tiger MothSpilosoma virginicaCan irritate skin
Salt Marsh MothEstigmene acreaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptarctia
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.