"What a thousand acres of Silphiums looked like when they tickled the bellies of the buffalo is a question never again to be answered, and perhaps not even asked." -Aldo Leopold
Pink-striped Oakworm Moth
Anisota virginiensis fam. Saturniidae (Hodges#7723)
Host plant: Found on white oak (Quercus alba)
Date found: 19, Sep, 2025
Location found: Don Robinson State Park, Jefferson County, MO
Notes: Photos of an early instar larvae.
Today’s caterpillar is an interesting Saturniid – Anisota virginiensis (pink-striped oakworm moth). The stunning adults of this species are diurnal flyers and like most members of the family, do not feed. This individual was found on Quercus stellata (post oak) in late June of this year at Young Conservation Area.
A Thousand Acres of Silphiums 