APANTESIS VIRGO
Grammia Virgo
VIRGIN TIGER MOTH

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.

It is found in North America from Newfoundland south to Florida west to British Columbia. It usually occurs in open moist meadow habitats and in open hardwood forests further east.

The wingspan is about 56 mm. The colour of the hindwings varies from yellow to scarlet, with one or more median dark blotches in addition to the discal spot. The forewing is black with prominent off-white veins and postmedial and subterminal region transverse lines. The hindwing is bright orange-red with pale rimmed black spots medial to the discal spot in addition to in the marginal region. A patchy marginal band is also present. As in other Apantesis species the fringe is pale, the thorax appears longitudinaly streaked black and white, and the abdomen is lined red and black. The male antenna is black, bipectinate.

The larvae feed on various low-growing plants, including Thermopsis rhombifolia,Asteraceae,Fabaceae and Plantago species. The species overwinters in the larval stage.

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.

Apantesis virgo is closest in appearance to Apantesis parthenice, a slightly smaller species. Apantesis parthenice lacks the hindwing spot medial to the discal spot that is found in A. virgo and has a pale transverse line across the cell that is lacking in A. virgo. Apantesis virgo also resembles Apantesis doris, but this species has an extra pale line in the cell that A. virgo lacks and its hindwing is pink.