Virginia Ctenucha Moth – Ctenucha virginica

Subfamily Arctiinae / Arctiini (Tiger Moths) / subtribe Ctenuchina Live adult moths and caterpillars photographed in the wild at DuPage County, Illinois. July 2004 – These moths are undergoing a population explosion here near Chicago. They fly up from the underbrush and grass at seemingly every step of mine. They are, however, extremely wary and difficult to approach. Try following these guys around for hours at ninety + degrees – whew!
The blue metallic iridescence on these moths is not to be missed. One of North America’s most colorful insects! June 2009 – Apparently, a population explosion is not unusual. These huge, conspicuous moths are again everywhere.Virginia Ctenuchid CaterpillarCaterpillar business end, a voracious munching machine

Subfamily Arctiinae – Tiger and Lichen Moths
Formerly family Arctiidae, this is a large and diverse family of moths with around 11,000 species in three cohorts worldwide [2].The most distinctive feature of the family is a tymbal organ on the metathorax which uses a thin membrane to produce ultrasonic countermeasures against their chief predator’s (bats) echolocation system. Larvae of some species use sound along with color aposematically to advertise their inedibility; many species acquire chemical defenses from their hostplants e.g. milkweed.

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Tree Encyclopedia / North American Insects & SpidersOnline since 2002