St. Lawrence Tiger Moth - Hodges#8162
Arctia parthenos
This record describes Arctia parthenos (species). Recorded family: Erebidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Adult: forewing brown with white or pale yellowish spots and bars (but not continuous lines); hindwing bright yellow with black PM band joined at one or more places to large black basal patch
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Erebidae
- Subfamily
- Arctiinae
- Tribe
- Arctiini
- Genus
- Arctia
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
boreal mixed woods and parklands, moist shrubby arctic tundra, mountains in the south
Geographic Range
Newfoundland and Labrador to the tundra of Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Alaska, south in the east to Michigan (and in the Appalachians to North Carolina), and south in the Rockies to Arizona and New Mexico
Seasonal Activity
adults fly from June to August (peak numbers from mid-June to early July in the north) larvae take two years to complete development, and are active during the short northern summer, but dormant under the snow for much of each year
Diet and Behavior
Diet: larvae feed on leaves of alder, aspen, birch, and willow in the wild, and have been reared in captivity on bedstraw, dandelion, lettuce, and snowberry
Life History
semivoltine: one generation every two years; spends the first winter as a fifth-instar larva, and the second winter as an eighth-instar larva
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Arctia parthenos. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of St. Lawrence Tiger Moth - Hodges#8162 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by john and jane balaban; Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset , Robin McLeod , Maury Heiman , marcie oconnor
Frequently Asked Questions About St. Lawrence Tiger Moth - Hodges#8162
What is St. Lawrence Tiger Moth - Hodges#8162?
St. Lawrence Tiger Moth - Hodges#8162 (Arctia parthenos) is a species in the family Erebidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is St. Lawrence Tiger Moth - Hodges#8162?
wingspan 50-65 mm
How do you identify St. Lawrence Tiger Moth - Hodges#8162?
Adult: forewing brown with white or pale yellowish spots and bars (but not continuous lines); hindwing bright yellow with black PM band joined at one or more places to large black basal patch
Where is St. Lawrence Tiger Moth - Hodges#8162 found?
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Habitat | boreal mixed woods and parklands, moist shrubby arctic tundra, mountains in the south |
| Range | Newfoundland and Labrador to the tundra of Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Alaska, south in the east to Michigan (and in the Appalachians to North Carolina), and south in the Rockies to Arizona and New Mexico |
What does St. Lawrence Tiger Moth - Hodges#8162 eat?
The diet of the St. Lawrence Tiger Moth - Hodges#8162 includes larvae feed on leaves of alder, aspen, birch, and willow in the wild, and have been reared in captivity on bedstraw, dandelion, lettuce, and snowberry.
When is St. Lawrence Tiger Moth - Hodges#8162 active?
St. Lawrence Tiger Moth - Hodges#8162: seasonal activity - adults fly from June to August (peak numbers from mid-June to early July in the north) larvae take two years to complete development, and are active during the short northern summer, but dormant under the snow for much of each year.
What is the life cycle of a St. Lawrence Tiger Moth - Hodges#8162?
semivoltine: one generation every two years; spends the first winter as a fifth-instar larva, and the second winter as an eighth-instar larva