The tiger eye moth protects itself with a very unique strategy: it has eye spots on its body that look like tiger eyes! Let’s learn all about them in the article below.
Ever heard of a moth with the eyes of a tiger? While it is not possible in literal terms, there exists a moth that has tiger eye patterns on its wings.
This beautiful insect is part of the family of tiger moths, so called because of the black stripes on their bodies akin to tigers.
But the tiger eye moth takes it one step further – it even has large eye spots that look exactly like tiger eyes!
In this article, we will talk all about them, their size, lifecycle, habitat, and more.
Scientific Classification Table
Family | Brahmaeidae |
Identification | Intricate pattern on the wings that resemble the eyes of a tiger. |
Size | 1.9-6 inches |
Wingspan Size | over 7 inches |
Range | Eastern Himalayas, Western China, the Philippines, and Burma |
Lifespan | Adults live for a few days |
Life Cycle | Eggs, larvae, pupae, adults |
Diet | Adults don’t eat. Caterpillars eat leaves and flowers of trees like lilac. |
Conservation Status | UK BAP: Priority species (research only) |
Other Common Names | Brahmaea Hearseyi, Brahmin moths, Owl moths |
What Does The Tiger Eye Moth Look Like?
Tiger eye moths (Brahmaea Hearseyi) belong to the Brahmaeidae family. Unlike the large Erebidae family, the Brahmaeidae only has around 40 known species.
The tiger eye moths are known for their intricate wing patterns. These graphic patterns resemble the image of a tiger’s eyes.
Like many other insects, the adult moths of this species fall in the non-feeding category, which implies that they don’t survive for long as adults.
Their only reason to live is to procreate and make the next generation ready for the world.
Interestingly, if you look at these moths from the opposite angle, the wing patterns also look like the eyes of an owl! This is why they are also called owl moths.
This pattern and color help them to blend well with brown backgrounds like wood, thus assisting them in camouflaging themselves from predators in forests.
Tiger Eye Moth Size-How Big Does Tiger Eye Moth Get?
Tiger eye moths are fairly big for their kind. An average adult can have a wingspan of over 7 inches. Their body is smaller than their wings.
It can measure anywhere between 1.9-6 inches.
The caterpillars are nothing like the woolly bear caterpillars of other tiger moths species. They don’t have a fuzzy black coat of hair surrounding the body.
They have greenish-yellow bodies with beautiful patterns. Sometimes the bodies are black with white patterns.
The head and feet are black. Also, tiger eye moth caterpillars have several long tube-like antennae on their head and the bottom.
Tiger Eye Moth Lifespan-How Long Does Tiger Eye Moth Live?
Tiger eye moths adults don’t live for long, at best they can survive for 6-10 days. They don’t eat anything as adults. In rare cases, they might consume some water.
In the wild, there are high chances of them being hunted down by predators like birds, bats, spiders, and lizards.
If kept in captivity(under ideal conditions), these moths can survive a little bit longer than this, but not more than a month.
Tiger Eye Moth Life Cycle
Mating
Once a new batch of adults emerges from pupae; they start searching for mates. During the mating process, the eggs get fertilized in the female body.
After mating, these females move to the host plant to lay the fertilized eggs. They usually choose spots that are well hidden from predators.
Hatching
It takes around ten days for the embryo to absorb the nutrients in the eggs to finally hatch as a caterpillar.
It takes a little extra effort for tiger eye moth caterpillars to come out of the eggs due to the presence of the long tubes near the head.
In some cases, they might have to chew the shell to break past it.
As soon as the caterpillar comes out, it starts eating the eggshell of the egg from which it hatched.
These eggshells are an excellent source of vitamins and necessary protein for the growth of the caterpillars.
The caterpillar must bulk up and store enough fats to be able to transition into the pupal stage. This is why they consume loads of leaves from the nearby host plant.
Pupation
Once they have stored enough fats, they search for a safe spot to start pupating. The pupa usually hangs below a branch, covered by a leaf.
This keeps it out of a predator’s sight. Initially, the pupa has a metallic green color, but with time it turns brown, and towards the end, it is either black or dark gray.
The emerging time for adults differs according to their size and strength.
The bigger and stronger adults can break past the pupal cover much faster than the smaller and more delicate ones.
When these insects emerge from the egg, they are completely wet. Hence, they take some time for the wings to dry up before flying away to find mates.
It takes around 5-21 days for a caterpillar in a pupa to emerge as an adult moth.
Watch the day-by-day progress of the tiger-eyed moth as it hatches from the egg right upto the time it becomes an adult moth here:
Where Is Tiger Eye Moth Found & Their Range?
Tiger eye moths are native to the Eastern Himalayas, Western China, the Philippines, and Burma.
However, most members of the Brahmaeidae family are facing habitat loss due to human intervention.
The good news is that these insects can be bred and are often kept in zoos where they are protected under ideal conditions.
The female prefers to lay eggs in locations with a good variety of host plants for the larvae to feed on, which includes plants like Fraxinus, Ligustrum, and Syringa.
Adults prefer to live in forests where they can hide well from predators. Other species of this family can be found in various regions of Asia, Europe, and Africa.
What Do Tiger Eye Moths Eat?
As stated in the sections above, tiger eye moths don’t survive for long; they spend their entire adult life mating and laying eggs.
This is why they don’t eat anything as in their adult life. These insects rely on the fat storage in the body built during the larval stage.
In rare cases, they prolong their lifespans by absorbing moisture from dewdrops and rain. In captivity, these insects also drink some water from time to time.
As a caterpillar, they eat a lot to get fat enough to start pupating. They feed on plants like Ligustrum, Fraxinus, and Syringa.
Are Tiger Eye Moths Poisonous?
Tiger eye moths might look scary due to their large size, but they are not harmful to humans. These insects are gentle, and they barely attack humans or pets.
The caterpillar may appear threatening due to their unique appearance and long tubes, but they, too, are not harmful.
Unlike wooly bears, they don’t have a coat of bristle-like urticating hair that can cause irritation and rashes.
Do Tiger Eye Moths Bite?
Tiger eye moths do not bite or sting. They do not have sharp jaws or stingers that will help them hurt humans and pets.
They escape the predators by blending well with the woody surroundings of a forest.
They might be intimidating due to their size but in reality, they are fragile. A little pressure can break their wings or even kill an adult tiger eye moth.
How To Attract Tiger Eye Moth?
Since tiger eye moths and other brahmin moths are survival issues due to habitat destruction, some efforts were made to breed these insects in captivity.
The result was fruitful.
These insects do not require much attention from your end to survive. But to breed them, you must attract these insects first. Here are a few ways to attract them:
Tiger eye moths are nocturnal; they are predominantly active during the night. Like all their cousins in the moth family, they, too, get attracted to light.
When a tiger eye moth spots a light source, it will start flying directly toward it. You can keep your porch lights on to attract these insects.
If there are any tiger-eyed moths nearby, they will certainly follow the source to reach your garden. You can put a few portable lights at different angles in your garden to get better results.
Since the caterpillars need to eat a lot of food to grow into healthy adults, the mother moths prefer to lay eggs in host plants.
If you add the plants mentioned in the earlier sections in your garden, it is possible to attract them in order to set up a home in your home.
Another thing to keep in mind is to keep potential predators like lizards, bats, and birds away from your garden. Females will never lay eggs in a garden filled with predatory dangers.
Tiger Eye Moth Meaning
Moths are often associated with various spiritual meanings across different cultures in the world. Many cultures believe that moths are emissaries from the spirit realm.
Thus, spotting a moth can be a sign that something is coin to an end and a new beginning awaits you.
You will be fascinated to know that in ancient greek civilizations, moths and butterflies were often used to symbolize the souls of the dead.
This is why moths are also seen as a symbol of death.
Many cultures worldwide believe that spotting a moth is a sign for the person to seek and embrace the light within their soul.
This is because moths always fly toward a light source in the dark. You might have seen these insects swarming around a street light.
The moths are also linked to transformation as they complete a long cycle from caterpillars to adults.
Spotting a moth can be a signal that you will soon be undergoing a major transformation in your life.
Tiger Eye Moth Facts
Tiger eye moths are not only famous for their appearance and the intricate design on their wings but there are also other fascinating facts about them.
Let’s look at a few of them below:
- The tiger eye moth caterpillar is one of the spookiest caterpillars on earth. The ones with greenish-yellow bodies are not that scary, but the ones with black bodies have white patterns that look like the out of a skeleton.
- The tiger eye caterpillar has black tube-like growths near the head and bottom area. These tubes look like dead twigs and help them camouflage from potential predators.
- You can spot the caterpillars eating the leaves and the flowers from the lilac trees.
- If you look at a tiger eye moth from the opposite angle, the pattern that once looked like the eyes of a tiger will then look like an owl. The colors and the patterns resemble a brown owl perfectly.
How To Get Rid Of Tiger Eye Moth?
Tiger eye moths are not dangerous, and the larvae are quite selective about the plants it consumes.
If you find them in your garden, there is no need to take any drastic measures to get rid of them. These insects don’t bite, and they barely survive for a few days.
If you are annoyed with these insects being around, you can install some pheromone traps to eliminate them.
These traps lure the insects to fly into a sticky pad. Once they land, they get stuck. You can dispose of the moth and put the trap back in the same place until all the moths are done.
Getting rid of them is the first step, you must ensure that these moths do not return to the garden.
For that, birds are an effective tool. Yes, birds are fearsome predators when it comes to hunting moths.
Having a few of them flying around your garden will ensure that these moths do not roam anywhere near your yard.
If there are no birds nearby, sprinkle some bird feed in the garden, and they will start appearing.
Another thing to keep in mind is that moths are instantly attracted to light. Minimize the usage of porch lights to stop drawing the attention of the tiger eye moths.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is a tiger moth caterpillar poisonous?
Most of the tiger moth caterpillars are not poisonous to humans or pets, but they are a few that cause problems to humans if touched with bare hands.
These caterpillars have spiky bristles on the entire body which pierce the skin and cause allergies and problems like dermatitis.
What happens if you touch a moth caterpillar?
Moth caterpillars won’t attack or bite humans, but some of them have bristle-like hair on their entire bodies.
They might look harmless, but touching them can cause allergies, irritation, and rashes. In rare cases, people suffer from dermatitis after touching a caterpillar.
It is wise to wear a pair of safety gloves before touching them.
What is the rarest moth?
There are thousands of different types of moths scattered across the globe. Some are quite common, but some are extremely.
The Lymantrine moth falls in the latter category; They are few in number and are extremely difficult to come across.
They have transparent wings which is quite a rare feature in a moth. These moths are commonly known as Asian gypsy moths.
Are tiger moths destructive?
Tiger moths are not considered destructive; the adults don’t survive for long and usually rely on the fat storage developed during the larval stage.
The caterpillars eat plants and leaves, but they don’t swarm a plant to completely destroy it.
Wrap Up
Tiger eye moths are known for the beautiful patterns on their wings. These insects are found in the eastern Himalayas, the Philippines, Western China, and Burma.
Yes, the caterpillars and the adults can look quite bizarre, but there is no need to be scared of them. They won’t bite or sting.
Be careful while touching or grabbing these moths, as they are quite delicate. Thank you for reading the article.
12 Comments. Leave new
I have some tiger eye moths on my porch in Round Rock Texas- beautiful!
Located a deceased one in the Walmart Parking lot in Mineola Texas 75773
Found one dying 🙁 on front steps Columbus GA It is beautiful!
We have several of these beauties on our deck in Illinois.
We found 1 in Cincinnati Ohio.
I just found one on my front tree in Hewitt, Tx.
found one on our house in southern Ontario
This gorgeous “bug” was found clinging to an outside window sill wrapped in a dead leaf in Green Cove Springs, Florida.
Found one today by my raised flower bed. Allegan , Michigan
I found one hanging on back screen door he is one beautiful moth ….. I told my mom my step dad sent it to say good morning he passed Thursday 6-14-18 ……… connellsville, PA
Thanks for the information. I had one on my sidewalk in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Very cool looking.
Today WE spotted one by our tree in Rockford Illinois.