Bug FAQCharlotte's Tiger Moth
Apantesis carlotta · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Carlotta's Tiger Moth
The adult has a wingspan of about 30 mm (1.2 in). It occurs in the United States from Maine down to Georgia and westward to North Dakota and Texas. Caterpillars have been raised on lettuce species (Lactuca).
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan is roughly 30 mm (1.2 in).
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae can be reared on plants of the Lactuca genus.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 39 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Oklahoma, Maryland, Colorado, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Kansas, Pennsylvania, South Dakota.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Same family (Erebidae)
Spongy MothLymantria disparDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Webworm MothHyphantria cuneaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Brown-tail MothEuproctis chrysorrhoeaCan irritate skin
Isabella Tiger MothPyrrharctia isabella
Virginian Tiger MothSpilosoma virginicaCan irritate skin
Salt Marsh MothEstigmene acreaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apantesis_carlotta
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.