Tropical Tiger Moth

Asota caricae · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae

Damages trees, gardens or crops. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of fig and related trees and can defoliate them.

Source: Wikipedia

Tropical Tiger Moth
Photo: LiCheng Shih, CC BY

The tropical tiger moth has a wingspan of about 5 to 6 cm. Adults have brownish forewings with a basal orange patch, black spots, white-streaked veins and a white spot near the discal cell.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

The palpi show black spots on the first and second joints. Forewings are brownish-fuscous with a basal orange patch, two subbasal black spots, three spots along its outer edge, white-streaked veins and a white spot at the lower angle of the discal cell.

Source: Wikipedia

Size

Wingspan ranges from 51 to 58 mm.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it lives

Found in forest and agricultural areas.

Source: Wikipedia

What it eats

Larvae feed on leaves of Ficus, Broussonetia, Mesua, Tectona and Shorea species.

Source: Wikipedia

Life cycle

Pupation takes place in a thin cocoon attached to a leaf.

Source: Wikipedia

Questions people ask

What plants do the larvae eat?

The caterpillars feed on several tree species, including fig (Ficus), paper mulberry (Broussonetia), Mesua, teak (Tectona) and Shorea.

Source: Wikipedia

Same family (Erebidae)

Spongy MothSpongy MothLymantria disparDamages trees, gardens or cropsFall Webworm MothFall Webworm MothHyphantria cuneaDamages trees, gardens or cropsBrown-tail MothBrown-tail MothEuproctis chrysorrhoeaCan irritate skinIsabella Tiger MothIsabella Tiger MothPyrrharctia isabellaVirginian Tiger MothVirginian Tiger MothSpilosoma virginicaCan irritate skinSalt Marsh MothSalt Marsh MothEstigmene acrea

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asota_caricae

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.

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