Bug FAQPink-striped Oakworm Moths
Anisota virginiensis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Saturniidae
Also called: Pink Striped Oakworm Moth, Pink-striped Oakworm
Source: Wikipedia
The adult moth has a wingspan of about 4 to 6.5 cm. Females have purplish-red wings with ochre-yellow markings, while males are purplish-brown with a clear spot in the center. It lives in deciduous woodlands and suburban areas across eastern Canada and the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Female moths show purplish-red wings with ochre-yellow tones. Male moths are purplish-brown and have a large transparent area in the middle of each wing.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 4.2 to 6.6 cm.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
It is considered a forest pest because it strips leaves from trees.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It inhabits deciduous woodlands and suburban neighborhoods.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Newly hatched caterpillars are about an eighth of an inch long.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Young and mid-stage caterpillars feed in groups, while mature ones feed alone.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 35 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Florida, Texas, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, Louisiana.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How can I control an outbreak of pink-striped oakworm moths?
Apply an arsenical spray to the affected area.
Source: Wikipedia
Where does this moth live?
It lives in deciduous woodlands and suburban areas across eastern Canada and the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars look like when they first hatch?
They are about an eighth of an inch long.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Saturniidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anisota_virginiensis
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.