Identification help

[teejay]

I found it laying in my yard. I've never seen this color pattern before. Wondering if it's unique or common.

imgur.com/a/gRvNqeY

[Adam Cotton]

Where in the world is your yard?

It is a female moth, but I don't know which species.

Adam.

[teejay]

I'm in southern Virginia. I can safely say I've never seen one like that before.

[bobw]

It looks like Hypercompe scribonia, the giant leopard moth, family Arctiidae.

[Adam Cotton]

Under recent classification based on DNA sequencing Arctiidae has been 'downgraded' to a subfamily (Arctiinae) in family Erebidae.

Here's the Wikipedia entry for this species with more information for teejay:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_leopard_moth

Adam.

[vabrou]

This is a very common and abundant moth here in my state of Louisiana. Here is a synoptic species account we published about 20 years ago illustrating it has two annual broods here and we also provided the parish records based upon our research. Here is a freely accessible link to that 20 year old one page species account. We have taken without a doubt over 100,000 adults here over the past 55 years in our high-wattage light traps.

www.academia.edu/30533204/The_Leopard_Moth_Ecpantheria_scribonia_Stoll_Arctiidae_in_Louisiana?sm=b

We also published again on this species about 10 years ago illustrating some of the infinite examples of morphotype variations in our possession. Here is the free access link to that two page publication. Older specimens of this species tend to become greasy in collections.

www.academia.edu/19873206/Phenotype_variations_of_Hypercompe_scribonia_Stoll_1790_Lepidoptera_Erebidae_in_St_Tammany_Parish_Louisiana?sm=b

[teejay]

Jul 7, 2024 20:26:44 GMT vabrou said:

This is a very common and abundant moth here in my state of Louisiana. Here is a synoptic species account we published about 20 years ago illustrating it has two annual broods here and we also provided the parish records based upon our research. Here is a freely accessible link to that 20 year old one page species account. We have taken without a doubt over 100,000 adults here over the past 55 years in our high-wattage light traps.

www.academia.edu/30533204/The_Leopard_Moth_Ecpantheria_scribonia_Stoll_Arctiidae_in_Louisiana?sm=b

We also published again on this species about 10 years ago illustrating some of the infinite examples of morphotype variations in our possession. Here is the free access link to that two page publication. Older specimens of this species tend to become greasy in collections.

www.academia.edu/19873206/Phenotype_variations_of_Hypercompe_scribonia_Stoll_1790_Lepidoptera_Erebidae_in_St_Tammany_Parish_Louisiana?sm=b

Thanks for the links. From the wiki link that Adam posted, it appears that they are only found in certain parts of the country. I don't know how one ended up in VA.

[alandmor]

Jul 8, 2024 21:10:56 GMT teejay said:

Jul 7, 2024 20:26:44 GMT vabrou said:

Thanks for the links. From the wiki link that Adam posted, it appears that they are only found in certain parts of the country. I don't know how one ended up in VA.

According to the Wikipedia link: "They are distributed through North America from southern Ontario, and southern and eastern United States through New England, Mexico, and south to Colombia."  Virginia is well within its reported range.  iNaturalist has over 2,000 observations for this species in Virginia so not uncommon.