Virginian Tiger Moth (Spilosoma virginica)
(c) Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)
Butterflies and mothsIn Lorain County, Ohio

Virginian Tiger Moth

Spilosoma virginica (Fabricius, 1798)

Virginian Tiger Moth in all of Ohio
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Family
Erebidae
Near Lorain County

Range

Where it is recorded

Season shown in 4 of Ohio's 88 counties. Explore Ohio

  • No result yet (9)
  • Recorded, too few records for a result (52)
  • Recorded, season not shown (23)
  • Season shown (4)
Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files, 1:500,000. Show as a table
Counties as a table
Virginian Tiger Moth by Ohio county: records and mapped range
CountyRecords
Adams CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Allen CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Ashland CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Ashtabula County21 · Season shown
Athens County39 · Recorded, season not shown
Auglaize CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Belmont CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Brown CountyNo qualifying records yet
Butler County60 · Recorded, season not shown
Carroll CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Champaign CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Clark CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Clermont County26 · Recorded, season not shown
Clinton CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Columbiana CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Coshocton CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Crawford CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Cuyahoga County82 · Recorded, season not shown
Darke CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Defiance CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Delaware County45 · Recorded, season not shown
Erie County20 · Recorded, season not shown
Fairfield County38 · Recorded, season not shown
Fayette CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Franklin County152 · Recorded, season not shown
Fulton CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Gallia CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Geauga County20 · Recorded, season not shown
Greene County44 · Recorded, season not shown
Guernsey CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Hamilton County92 · Recorded, season not shown
Hancock County29 · Recorded, season not shown
Hardin CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Harrison CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Henry CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Highland CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Hocking County21 · Recorded, season not shown
Holmes CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Huron CountyNo qualifying records yet
Jackson CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Jefferson CountyNo qualifying records yet
Knox County20 · Recorded, season not shown
Lake County27 · Season shown
Lawrence CountyNo qualifying records yet
Licking County29 · Recorded, season not shown
Logan CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Lorain County40 · Season shown
Lucas County50 · Recorded, season not shown
Madison CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Mahoning CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Marion CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Medina County55 · Recorded, season not shown
Meigs CountyNo qualifying records yet
Mercer CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Miami CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Monroe CountyNo qualifying records yet
Montgomery County61 · Recorded, season not shown
Morgan CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Morrow CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Muskingum CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Noble CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Ottawa County41 · Recorded, season not shown
Paulding CountyNo qualifying records yet
Perry CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Pickaway CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Pike CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Portage County39 · Recorded, season not shown
Preble CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Putnam CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Richland CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Ross CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Sandusky CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Scioto CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Seneca CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Shelby CountyNo qualifying records yet
Stark County67 · Recorded, season not shown
Summit County78 · Season shown
Trumbull CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Tuscarawas CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Union CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Van Wert CountyNo qualifying records yet
Vinton CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Warren CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Washington CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Wayne County35 · Recorded, season not shown
Williams CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Wood County28 · Recorded, season not shown
Wyandot CountyRecorded, too few records for a result

No mapped range from the range source used, the USGS Gap Analysis Project, which maps land vertebrates only.

Season

When it is recorded

In Lorain County

Late May to late October, middle week Sep 6–12

Show over the bars
Recording in Lorain County · records of all species each week, 26,475 in all

Records per week from 40 records in 8 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.

Recorded on 37 dates. Latest record: October 2025.

Show as a table
Records of Virginian Tiger Moth in Lorain County each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of Virginian Tiger MothYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–1000193
Jan 11–1700115
Jan 18–240075
Jan 25–310059
Feb 1–700101
Feb 8–140099
Feb 15–210084
Feb 22–280049
Mar 1–700114
Mar 8–1400103
Mar 15–2100258
Mar 22–2800139
Mar 29 – Apr 400228
Apr 5–1100376
Apr 12–1800561
Apr 19–2500560
Apr 26 – May 2001,122
May 3–900824
May 10–1600793
May 17–2300901
May 24–3022886
May 31 – Jun 611771
Jun 7–1300797
Jun 14–20001,124
Jun 21–2732954
Jun 28 – Jul 411770
Jul 5–1111973
Jul 12–1811957
Jul 19–25001,240
Jul 26 – Aug 122912
Aug 2–800907
Aug 9–1500769
Aug 16–2221768
Aug 23–2900788
Aug 30 – Sep 532959
Sep 6–1263907
Sep 13–1964817
Sep 20–2622745
Sep 27 – Oct 354508
Oct 4–1000597
Oct 11–1700343
Oct 18–2400426
Oct 25–3131297
Nov 1–700278
Nov 8–1422210
Nov 15–2100121
Nov 22–2800100
Nov 29 – Dec 500118
Dec 6–120060
Dec 13–1900224
Dec 20–2600187
Dec 27 – Jan 200208

Reported as an adult

Only 7 records here are marked as adults, too few to show a adult season. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.

Reported as a caterpillar

No caterpillar season shown here. Most records come from a single year, so a season is not shown yet.

In Ohio

Late May to mid-October, middle week Aug 30 – Sep 5

Show over the bars
Recording in Ohio · records of all species each week, 1,691,199 in all

Records per week from 2,057 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.

Recorded on 856 dates. Latest record: November 2025.

Show as a table
Records of Virginian Tiger Moth in Ohio each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of Virginian Tiger MothYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–10006,211
Jan 11–17005,146
Jan 18–24004,645
Jan 25–31004,698
Feb 1–7006,023
Feb 8–14005,888
Feb 15–21005,436
Feb 22–28006,846
Mar 1–7118,321
Mar 8–141110,384
Mar 15–210012,620
Mar 22–281113,949
Mar 29 – Apr 40019,661
Apr 5–111126,860
Apr 12–187439,925
Apr 19–2512541,623
Apr 26 – May 28456,391
May 3–911452,952
May 10–1616653,785
May 17–2318657,698
May 24–30311054,651
May 31 – Jun 633953,099
Jun 7–1335853,700
Jun 14–2017756,625
Jun 21–27421055,361
Jun 28 – Jul 425658,477
Jul 5–1146961,336
Jul 12–18601064,722
Jul 19–2563969,753
Jul 26 – Aug 171859,416
Aug 2–8581059,712
Aug 9–15681055,994
Aug 16–22108954,328
Aug 23–291791051,772
Aug 30 – Sep 51811057,167
Sep 6–122161059,075
Sep 13–192081054,543
Sep 20–261531045,860
Sep 27 – Oct 31451043,180
Oct 4–10831037,841
Oct 11–1766930,824
Oct 18–2443721,156
Oct 25–3127719,021
Nov 1–712614,172
Nov 8–146512,621
Nov 15–21427,965
Nov 22–28118,136
Nov 29 – Dec 5006,083
Dec 6–12006,004
Dec 13–19005,423
Dec 20–26005,661
Dec 27 – Jan 2008,459

Reported as an adult

Usually reported as an adult mid-April to late June, middle week late May. A later season is not shown: most records are from one year.

Reported as a caterpillar

No caterpillar season shown here. Most records come from a single year, so a season is not shown yet.

What these results show

These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.

Identification

How to identify it

Telling it apart

From what Ohio’s records show. Only what the records support is shown.

Often confused with

  • Salt Marsh Moth Estigmene acreaOften confused in Ohio: 176 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
  • Agreeable Tiger Moth Spilosoma congruaOften confused in Ohio: 89 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
  • Fall Webworm Moth Hyphantria cuneaOften confused in Ohio: 89 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
  • Isabella Tiger Moth Pyrrharctia isabellaOften confused in Ohio: 39 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
  • Ruby Tiger Moth Phragmatobia fuliginosaOften confused in Ohio: 27 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant

From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.

When each is reported

  • All recordsUsually late May to mid-October, middle week late August · 2,057 records
  • Reported as femaleUsually mid-May to early September, middle week early August · 128 records

Not every photo is marked with a sex or a sign, so these show when people reported each, not when it happens.

Months not reported

  1. Jan: no record
  2. Feb: no record
  3. Mar: recorded
  4. Apr: recorded
  5. May: recorded
  6. Jun: recorded
  7. Jul: recorded
  8. Aug: recorded
  9. Sep: recorded
  10. Oct: recorded
  11. Nov: recorded
  12. Dec: no record

Not reported in Ohio in December to February, 2016 to 2025.

Land cover where it is recorded

Land coverIts recordsAll Ohio records
Developed59%49%
Forest19%31%
Farmland16%11%
Wetland4%5%
Open water1%3%
Barren0.6%0.6%
Grassland and shrub0.3%0.9%

From 1,194 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)

Sources

Where these results come from

  • Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
  • Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
  • See it on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)OpenPhenology is independent and not affiliated with iNaturalist.

Records behind the Lorain County result

40 records from 1 dataset.

To cite: the GBIF download doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).

A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.