Bug FAQHarnessed Tiger Moth
Apantesis phalerata · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Harnessed Moth
Source: Wikipedia
Adult harnessed tiger moths have a wingspan of about 30 to 42 mm (1.2 to 1.7 inches). They live across North America from eastern Canada down to the southern United States such as Florida and Texas. The species goes through complete metamorphosis and lives only 5 to 10 days as an adult after mating.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Their bright coloration warns predators that they are unpalatable.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars eat a variety of low-growing plants such as clover, cordgrass, dandelion and plantain, as well as grasses and garden crops.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The species undergoes complete metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa, then adult. After mating, adults live only about 5 to 10 days.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active from April to September in the south and May to August in the north.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The harnessed tiger moth is indigenous to North America, spanning eastern Canada to the southern United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It belongs to the Arctiinae subfamily, which includes roughly 11,000 tiger-moth species worldwide.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 39 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, Florida, Michigan, Tennessee.
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
Questions people ask
How big is a harnessed tiger moth?
Adults have a wingspan of about 30 to 42 mm (1.2 to 1.7 inches).
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find harnessed tiger moths?
They occur across North America from eastern Canada down to the southern United States such as Florida and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
Do the caterpillars damage garden plants?
Yes, the larvae feed on grasses and garden crops like clover, dandelion and plantain, which can harm those plants.
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 acreaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apantesis_phalerata
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.