Bug FAQOslar's Oakworm Moth
Anisota oslari · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Saturniidae
The oakworm moth has a wingspan between about 5 and 9 cm. Adults fly by day in July and August, producing one generation each year. Its caterpillars eat the leaves of several oak species.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from roughly 50 mm to 86 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives in the southwestern United States, from Colorado through New Mexico and Arizona into western Texas, and also in Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on oak trees such as Quercus oblongifolia and Quercus turbinella.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are active during the day from July to August and there is one generation per year. Fully grown caterpillars pupate and spend the winter in shallow underground chambers.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing in July and August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes southwestern Colorado, New Mexico, southeastern Arizona, far western Texas, and Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 4 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Utah.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Same family (Saturniidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anisota_oslari
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.