Aug. 18, 2013 - Tiger Moths

Here’s another beautiful moth, a Great Tiger Moth. It was attracted to the porch light at our northern Minnesota home. I was able to move it to these ferns so I could get a better photo. Last week Bud asked if the “eye” spots on Sphinx moths were intended to scare potential predators, and the answer is yes. Colored hind wings and the spots on Tiger moths serve the same purpose. I also read that they can produce a toxic yellow froth and make squeaking sounds loud enough to be heard by humans.

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Great Tiger Moths are found across northern Canada and south to Minnesota, Michigan, and New England. They prefer boreal forests, so northern Minnesota is as far south as you are likely to see them. They have a wing span of 1½ to 2¾ inches.

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Here’s where I first found this moth. It appears that she just finished laying her eggs on the bottom log of our log home. I counted over 300 eggs.

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This Virgin Tiger Moth was also attracted to our porch light. Its range includes most of the United States and southern Canada. It has a wing span of about 2¼ inches.

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I’m sure you’re noticing a pattern among the Tiger moths: brightly colored hind wings with large spots. This one seems to be producing some frothy bubbles. I haven’t been able to find out if those are toxic.

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A third member of the family is this St. Lawrence Tiger Moth. Its forewings are similar to those of the Great Tiger Moth. However, the St. Lawrence Tiger Moth has white spots instead of white lines

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I coaxed the St. Lawrence Tiger Moth onto a piece of wood where it very cooperatively posed for me. It has a wingspan of 2 to 2½ inches.

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I was really surprised when I turned the piece of wood around and discovered the brightly colored underside of the wings. I’m going to make a habit of checking the underside of other moths that I photograph in the future.

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