Bug FAQNevada Tiger Moth
Grammia nevadensis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
The Nevada tiger moth has forewings 15 to 18 mm long (0.59 to 0.71 in). It lives in deserts, juniper woodlands, open sagebrush ranges, and open forests. Its range includes the Pacific Northwest, the Inter-mountain region, the Rocky Mountains, and parts of Canada such as Alberta, southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Forewing length is 15 to 18 mm (0.59 to 0.71 in).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Found in deserts, juniper woodlands, open sagebrush ranges, and open forests.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on herbaceous plants such as Lupinus species and Viola beckwithii.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Also occurs in Canadian provinces Alberta, southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 14 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, California, New Mexico, Washington, Montana.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants do the larvae eat?
The caterpillars feed on herbaceous plants, especially Lupinus species and Viola beckwithii.
Source: Wikipedia
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_nevadensis
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.