Fall is the time in Southern California to look for this beautiful tiger moth. With its distinctive gray, wavy, patterned wings and bright orange body, it can be confused with no other. It’s during the late spring and summer months when their black haired caterpillars (nick-named “wooly bears”) can be found crawling on the ground during warm nights.
Painted tiger moth – Arachnis picta
As a form of defense, some tiger moths will attempt to look threatening with a wing-up display, showing their brightly colored bodies and hindwing.