Bug FAQOrange Virbia Moth
Virbia aurantiaca · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Orange Holomelina, Orange Virbia
The orange virbia moth (Virbia aurantiaca) belongs to the family Erebidae. Forewing length is about 10 mm in males and 9.7 mm in females. It occurs across much of North America, from eastern Canada and the United States down to Mexico, and also in several central US states.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Virbia aurantiaca is a moth species in the family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Males have forewings about 10 mm long; females about 9.7 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae have been raised on dandelion and plantain species.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
In the east it is recorded from Manitoba and Nova Scotia, extending south along the Atlantic coast to Córdoba in Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 43 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Oklahoma, Maryland, Florida, Connecticut, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How big is the orange virbia moth?
Males have forewings about 10 mm long and females about 9.7 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where does the orange virbia moth live?
It occurs across North America, from eastern Canada and the United States down to Mexico, and in several central US states.
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/Virbia_aurantiaca
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.