ANISOTA VIRGINIENSIS
DRURY, 1773

Anisota virginiensis moth (female) courtesy of William T. Hark

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Comments, suggestions and/or additional information are welcomed by Bill.

TAXONOMY: Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802 Family Saturniidae Boisduval, [1837] 1834 Subfamily: Ceratocampinae, Harris 1841 Genus: Anisota, Hübner, 1820 ("1816") Species: virginiensis, Drury, 1773

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DISTRIBUTON:

Anisota virginiensis, the Pink-striped Oakworm Moth (wing span: 1 5/8 - 2 5/8 inches (4.2 - 6.6 cm)), flies in deciduous woodland, suburbs, and tree-lined city streets from Nova Scotia west across the Great Lakes states to Manitoba and Minnesota; south to central Florida, the Gulf Coast, and east Texas.

Virginiensis is the most widely distributed Anisota species, and many classify discolor and pellucida as color variations of virginiensis.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

There is one Anisota virginiensis brood from June-July in the north, at least two broods from May-September in the south, and several broods throughout the year in Florida.

Larvae feed on various oaks (Quercus species).

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Anisota virginiensis adult males are day fliers and mate in the morning.

Females are larger than males and the upperside of female is orange with pale purple at the margins of the wings. Scattered black specks are reduced or absent.

The upperside of the male (below) is dark bergundy-brown with some red on the hindwing and a large translucent (hyaline) area on the forewing. Both sexes have a small white cell spot on the forewing.

Scan by Bill Oehlke

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS, AND PUPAE:

Females lay orangey-brown eggs after dusk in groups on the underside of oak leaves. Oily looking first instar oakworm larvae feed in groups, stripping foliage except for leaf vein skeletons. Several females were taken at my mercury vapour light in Montague, P.E.I., in early July. The females ovaposited readily in small brown paper bags.

Gregarious feeding continues into final instar at which time pink-striped oakworm larvae leave foliage and pupate and overwinter in shallow underground burrows. Larvae scans by Bill Oehlke

Pupae are very rough and have an elongated forked cremaster. Sharp projections along side of pupae are similar to those of Dryocampa rubicunda.

Listed below are primary food plant(s) and alternate food plants listed in Stephen E. Stone's Foodplants of World Saturniidae. It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

Carpinus caroliniana..... Castanea dentata Corylus Quercus alba Quercus macrocarpa Quercus nigra Quercus palustris Quercus petraea Quercus prinus Quercus robar Quercus rubra Quercus stellata Quercus velutina

American hornbeam American chestnut Hazel White oak Bur oak Water oak Pin oak Durmast oak Chestnut oak English oak Northern red oak Post oak Black oak

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SATURNIIDAE OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
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