Bug FAQPink-legged Tiger Moth
Spilosoma latipennis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
The pink-legged tiger moth has a wingspan of about 38 mm. It lives in eastern North America, recorded from many U.S. states and Canadian provinces. Adults are on the wing from April through September.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Spilosoma latipennis, called the pink-legged tiger moth or red-legged diacrisia, belongs to the family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan is roughly 38 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found in eastern North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are active from April to September.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The moth flies during the months April through September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 33 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Ohio, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Georgia.
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
When are pink-legged tiger moths active?
Adults are on the wing from April through September.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants do the larvae eat?
The larvae feed on ash trees, dandelions, impatiens and plantain.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is this moth found?
It occurs in eastern North America, with records from many U.S. states and parts of Canada.
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/Spilosoma_latipennis
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.