Moth Photographers Group – Arctia caja

Digital Guide to Moth Identification

Erebidae

930290 – 8166 Arctia caja (Linnaeus, 1758)

Great Tiger Moth

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Large Map & Chart Report Errors About Maps

Larva and Host Plants:	Host familiy: Alliaceae[Liliaceae] Amaranthaceae[Chenopodiaceae] Asteraceae Betulaceae Caprifoliaceae Convolvulace.. Host genera: Abies Achillea Allium Alnus Arctium Betula Calystegia Chenopodium Crataegus Cytisus Eutrochium Filip... Host extended: polyphagous on low herbaceous plants (Powell & Opler 2009); polyphagous on low plants (Forbes 1960).... (Kimberley & Douglas 2025)
Similar Species:	Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.)
Synonymy:	caja (Linnaeus, 1758) (Phalaena) extralim. - MONA 1983: 8166 auripennis (Butler, 1881) (Euprepia) erinacea (Retzius, 1783) (Phalaena) orientalis Moore, 1878 (Arctia) phaeosoma (Butler, 1877) (Euprepia) sajana Bang-Haas, 1927 (Arctia) wiskotti Staudinger, 1878 (Arctia) excl. ssp. a. americana Harris, 1841 (Arctia) ssp. b. utahensis (Edwards, 1886) (Euprepia) transmontana (Neumoegen & Dyar, 1893) (Hypercompa) ssp. c. waroi Barnes & Benjamin, 1927 (Arctia)

References (Caution: DNA barcoding at BOLD provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification; some BOLD specimens shown may not be sequenced.)

Barcode of Life (BOLD) - Caution: Identifications often erroneous; DNA barcode provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification; many specimens not sequenced.
Hall et al., 2021. The Moths of North Carolina - website (identification, habitats and life history)
Powell, J. A. & P. A. Opler, 2009. Moths of Western North America, Pl. 47.8m; p. 268. Book Review and ordering
Shropshire, K.J. & D.W. Tallamy, 2025. Lepidoptera of North America, north of Mexico: an annotated list containing geographic ranges and host-plant records. ZooKeys, 1261: 101-113; Suppl. 1. (PDF or read online)
Species Page at BugGuide.Net
Species Page at E. H. Strickland Museum
Species Page at Mass Moths
Species Page at Pacific Northwest Moths
Species Page at iNaturalist

Moth Photographers Group at the Mississippi Entomological Museum at the Mississippi State University

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