Bug FAQYellow-edged Tussock Moth
Pygarctia abdominalis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Yellow-edged Pygarctia Moth, Yellow-edged Pygarctia
The yellow-edged tussock moth (Pygarctia abdominalis) is a North-American moth in the family Erebidae. Males have a wingspan of about 35 mm and females about 45 mm. Adults are most often seen from April through August, with additional records in February and September in Florida.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
It is called the yellow-edged or orange-bodied pygarctia and belongs to the family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Males have a wingspan of about 35 mm; females are larger at about 45 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on plants in the Euphorbiaceae and Apocynaceae families.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range is the United States, spanning New Jersey to Florida and west to Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 9 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, North Carolina, Florida, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are yellow-edged tussock moths active?
Adults are most common from April through August, with some records in February and September in Florida.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the larvae eat?
The larvae feed on species of the Euphorbiaceae and Apocynaceae plant families.
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/Pygarctia_abdominalis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.