Bug FAQRusty Tussock Moth
Orgyia antiqua · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Moth
Source: Wikipedia
Males have orange-red to dark brown wings with a distinctive white comma-shaped spot on each forewing, and the caterpillars are brightly coloured with humps, horns and a tail in grey, red and yellow. Adults fly from May to October, while caterpillars are seen from May to early September; they live in shrub-rich habitats such as gardens, parks, hedgerows and moors.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Male moths show orange-red to dark brown wings with a white comma-shaped spot on each forewing. The caterpillar is covered in hairs and has prominent humps, horns and a tail in shades of dark grey, red and yellow.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 35 to 38 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on many deciduous trees and shrubs such as birch, hawthorn, lime, plum, oak, bramble, willow, tamarisk, blueberry and others.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The species overwinters as eggs.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from May through October; caterpillars are present from May to early September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to Europe but now occurs across the Palaearctic and Nearctic regions.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 22 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Vermont, California, Maine, New Hampshire, Michigan.
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
Can they damage my garden plants?
Yes, the caterpillars feed on many common garden trees and shrubs and can cause noticeable defoliation.
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/Orgyia_antiqua
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.