Bug FAQGrizzled Tussock Moth
Dasychira grisefacta · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
The grizzled tussock moth, Dasychira grisefacta, belongs to the family Erebidae. Males have a wingspan of about 42 mm, while females are wingless. Its larvae feed on several conifer species such as Douglas-fir, western hemlock, Engelmann spruce, white spruce, ponderosa pine and pinyon pine.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Dasychira grisefacta is commonly called the pine tussock or grizzled tussock.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Male moths have a wingspan of roughly 42 mm; females lack wings entirely.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on Douglas-fir, western hemlock, Engelmann spruce, white spruce, ponderosa pine and pinyon pine.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes the same North American regions listed for its habitat.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 7 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Oregon, Montana, Washington, Idaho, Colorado, South Dakota, Wyoming.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What trees do the caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on Douglas-fir, western hemlock, Engelmann spruce, white spruce, ponderosa pine and pinyon pine.
Source: Wikipedia
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 acreaDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dasychira_grisefacta
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-29 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-29.