Virginia Ctenucha

For a moth, its kinda cool and the first time I have had one in the yard.



The Virginia Ctenucha can be found throughout Alberta except the prairies, in open places and grassy meadows in early summer from June through early July. Like other members in the Tiger Moth Family, they are poisonous to birds and so remain unmolested as they flutter from flower to flower in broad daylight.

This dusky moth has a wingspan 50 mm (2 in.). The wings are dark olive brown with a narrow white fringe. The fuzzy body is an iridescent dark blue and the head is a fuzzy orange.

The innocuous yellowish tan caterpillars sport short white hair. They are about 25 mm (1 in.) long and feed on grasses and sedges.