Unexpected Tiger Moth larva, with its gray tufts and orange skin, found in my backyard meadow
While taking a walk around my backyard meadow (in southern Cook County, Illinois) the other day, I came across a larva (caterpillar) that I haven’t seen before. I was checking my Swamp Milkweeds (Asclepias incarnata) for Monarch larva, when I saw this frightful fella, the Unexpected Tiger Moth larva. Their appearance warns predators that making them a meal would be an unpleasant experience. The larva only feed on native milkweeds primarily A. tuberosa, Orange Milkweed, A. verticillata, Whorled Milkweed – the larva take in alkaloids from the milkweed plants, making them unpalatable. The small white Unexpected Tiger Moth is considered uncommon and rare, so I am especially excited to have found it in my backyard meadow, which was mowed lawn previous to 2006.
According to a conservation assessment conducted by the USDA Forest Service (found here), this moth prefers oak barrens and their associated grasslands. They do not migrate as Monarchs do, rather, they overwinter locally in cocoons. This makes them sensitive to fire management. These moths are so uncommon, that a single fire can wipe out a local population, and some states only have one known population.
So I while I still have not found any Monarch larva on my milkweeds, I did discover something equally, if not more, interesting on my evening walk!
