Apantesis virgo explained

Apantesis virgo, the virgin tiger moth, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.^{[1] [2]} It is found in North America from Newfoundland south to Florida west to Alberta.

The wingspan is about 56 mm.^[3]

The larvae feed on various low-growing plants, including Thermopsis rhombifolia and Plantago species.^[4] The species overwinters in the larval stage.^[5]

This species was formerly a member of the genus Grammia, but was moved to Apantesis along with the other species of the genera Grammia, Holarctia, and Notarctia.

Subspecies

• Apantesis virgo virgo (from the Great Lakes region and Atlantic seaboard south through New England, to at least West Virginia. In the west, the range extends to north-eastern British Columbia)
• Apantesis virgo gigas B. C. Schmidt, 2009 (south-eastern United States, including the Great Smoky Mountains, south to Georgia and northern Florida)^[6]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Savela . Markku . Grammia virgo (Linnaeus, 1758) . Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms . August 8, 2019.
2. Web site: 930244.00 – 8197 – Apantesis virgo – Virgin Tiger Moth – (Linnaeus, 1758) . North American Moth Photographers Group . Mississippi State University . August 8, 2019.
3. Web site: Grammia virgo . Insect Fauna of Tallgrass Prairies . North Dakota State University . August 8, 2019.
4. Web site: Schmidt, B. C. . Robinson, E. . amp . Species Details Grammia virgo . University of Alberta Museums . E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum . November 13, 2020.
5. Web site: Cotinis . December 20, 2016 . Species Apantesis virgo - Virgin Tiger Moth - Hodges#8197 . BugGuide . November 13, 2020.
6. Schmidt, B. C. (2009). "Taxonomic revision of the genus Grammia Rambur (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Arctiinae)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 156: 507-597.