Hobbies And Interests
Tiger Moths
Although the whole famiily Arctiidae can be called "tiger moths," this term especially applies to the subfamily Arctiinae. These moths often have "tiger moth" as part of their common name, such as the Isabella tiger moth. The caterpillars of this moth are the black and brown "woolly bears," which, according to folklore, forecast the severity of the coming winter by the number of body segments covered by a brown band.
Lichen Moths
The caterpillars of the subfamily Lithosiinae, the lichen moths, feed off of lichen, which is a symbiosis of algae and fungi. Some caterpillars eat the entire lichen, while others feed off only the algae. Many species are nearly as colorful as butterflies, such as Packard's lichen moth, the painted lichen moth and the scarlet-winged lichen moth, all boldly painted in blacks, oranges and reds.
Syntomine Moths
Syntomine moths belong to the subfamily Syntominae, or according to some classification systems, Ctenuchinae, and are often called wasp moths. As their name suggests, many of these moths resemble large wasps with their long upper wings and small hind wings. The Texas moth, for instance, has a black and orange striped body and brown wings, much like the paper wasp. Likewise, the scarlet-bodied wasp moth has a bright red body with partially transparent wings.
Other Moths
Other varieties of North American tiger moths include the pericopine moths that belong to the subfamily Pericopinae, as well as other moths that are more difficult to classify. Different classification systems may also label the types of tiger moths as tribes within the subfamily Arctiidae under the family Erebidae, instead of dividing them into distinct subfamilies of their own.