Bug FAQTolype distincta
Tolype distincta · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Lasiocampidae
Tolype distincta lives in moist to mesic conifer forests from the Pacific Northwest across to the Southwest and east to the Rockies. It is native to western North America. The caterpillars eat conifer trees such as Douglas fir, true firs, and western hemlock.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on conifers in the pine family, including Douglas fir, true firs, and western hemlock.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
A moth species native to western North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 10 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Idaho.
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
Same family (Lasiocampidae)
Eastern Tent Caterpillar MothMalacosoma americanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Forest Tent Caterpillar MothMalacosoma disstriaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fox MothMacrothylacia rubi
Oak EggarLasiocampa quercus
Drinker MothEuthrix potatoria
Western Tent Caterpillar MothMalacosoma californicaDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tolype_distincta
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.