How to identify the Banded Tussock Moth
The Banded Tussock Moth is a medium-sized moth with a wingspan around 3.5 to 5 cm (about 1.4 to 2 inches). The wings are pale, semi-translucent tan to yellowish, crossed by several faint, slightly darker bands, giving the moth a soft, washed-out look. The best field mark is on the body: the thorax is striped lengthwise with shining blue-green and black, a subtle but reliable detail to check. Despite the "tussock" in its name it is a tiger moth, not a true tussock moth, so the adult lacks the dramatic tufts of an Orgyia.
Where the Banded Tussock Moth lives
This is a common moth of eastern deciduous woods, forest edges, parks and wooded suburbs. The open records show it most concentrated in New York, Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland and West Virginia. Wherever there are hardwood trees for the caterpillars to feed on, the adults are likely nearby, which makes this one of the more frequently seen tiger moths at summer lights in the East.
When the Banded Tussock Moth flies
The adults are creatures of mid to late summer. In the records they peak from July through September, overlapping National Moth Week (July 18-26, 2026). A warm, calm night anywhere in that window gives you a strong chance of seeing one at a light.
Caterpillar, host plants and life cycle
The caterpillar is fuzzy and variable, usually pale yellow to gray with long whitish or black hair pencils projecting from each end. It feeds on the leaves of many hardwoods, including oak, hickory, ash, birch, elm and willow. Like other hairy caterpillars its hairs can irritate sensitive skin, so don't handle it. The species overwinters as a pupa in a hairy cocoon and emerges the following summer, generally completing one generation per year through much of its range. Note that the caterpillar can be hard to tell from look-alike tussock larvae, so the striped-thorax adult is the more reliable identification.
How to see a Banded Tussock Moth at night
This moth comes well to light, so a summer light session is the easiest way to find one. Hang a white sheet and shine a UV (blacklight) or mercury-vapor lamp on it; UV and short-wavelength light bring in far more moths than a white LED porch bulb. Moths collect at lights because the bright source disrupts their flight orientation rather than drawing them in as a target, so keep the light steady against a pale sheet and check across the first hours after dark. July and August are prime. For timing, see our good night for moths guide, and compare with the look-alike Hickory Tussock Moth.