Apantesis carlotta

Ferguson, 1985

Carlotta's tiger moth, Charlotte's Tiger Moth

Apantesis carlotta is a tiger moth in the Erebidae, described by Douglas C. Ferguson in 1985. The occurs across eastern and central North America, from Maine to Georgia and westward to North Dakota and Texas. have a wingspan of approximately 30 mm. The species has been documented outside its native range in Baghdad, Iraq, where specimens were collected from mulberry trees and clover plants.

Apantesis carlotta P1460254a by xpda. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.Apantesis carlotta P1180288a by xpda. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.Apantesis carlotta (Carlotta's tiger moth) (Mitchell, South Dakota, USA) (27295609764) by James St. John. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Apantesis carlotta: //əˈpæn.tɪ.sɪs kɑrˈlɒt.tə//

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Images

Distribution

Native to North America: found from Maine to Georgia, west to North Dakota and Texas. Documented in Baghdad, Iraq, where specimens were collected from mulberry trees and clover plants using fluorescent lights at night.

Host Associations

  • Lactuca - larval larvae have been reared on Lactuca

Behavior

; attracted to fluorescent lights at night.

Similar Taxa

  • Apantesis proximaFormerly placed in the same ; both share tiger moth characteristics with striped forewings
  • Grammia speciesHistorical taxonomic confusion; Apantesis were formerly placed in Grammia

More Details

Taxonomic history

The Apantesis has undergone taxonomic revision, with formerly placed in Grammia and Notarctia. Apantesis carlotta was described relatively recently in 1985, making it one of the more recently recognized species in this group.

Collection methods

Specimens in Iraq were collected using air nets and fluorescent lights at night, preserved in 70% ethyl acetate.

Morphological study

A 2023-2024 study in Iraq documented external morphological characteristics, with particular attention to reproductive organ features as distinguishing traits from other .

Sources and further reading