Wandering Tiger - Hodges#8138
Spilosoma vagans
This record describes Spilosoma vagans (species). Recorded family: Erebidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
forewing and hindwings are extremely variable males are often attracted to lights; females are dinural and seldom seen at lights
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Erebidae
- Subfamily
- Arctiinae
- Tribe
- Arctiini
- Genus
- Spilosoma
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
southern British Columbia south to Colorado and most of California
Seasonal Activity
adults fly from late May to early July
Diet and Behavior
Diet: larvae feed on perennial lupine leaves during the night
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Spilosoma vagans. 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 Wandering Tiger - Hodges#8138 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Cotinis; Additional contributions by Maury Heiman
Frequently Asked Questions About Wandering Tiger - Hodges#8138
What is Wandering Tiger - Hodges#8138?
Wandering Tiger - Hodges#8138 (Spilosoma vagans) is a species in the family Erebidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Wandering Tiger - Hodges#8138?
forewing length 1.3-1.6 cm
How do you identify Wandering Tiger - Hodges#8138?
forewing and hindwings are extremely variable
Where is Wandering Tiger - Hodges#8138 found?
Range: southern British Columbia south to Colorado and most of California
What does Wandering Tiger - Hodges#8138 eat?
The diet of the Wandering Tiger - Hodges#8138 includes larvae feed on perennial lupine leaves during the night.
When is Wandering Tiger - Hodges#8138 active?
Wandering Tiger - Hodges#8138: seasonal activity - adults fly from late May to early July.