LARGE TOLYPE, DOT-LINED WHITE, FLANNEL moths, and White Furcula
This Large Tolype just might win the prize for the cutest, fuzziest moth ever!
Large Tolype moth. This is one of my favorite fall moths.
Black-waved Flannel Moth. Doesn't it look like a long-eared bunny rabbit? Watch out for the caterpillars though - those cute balls of fluff have a nasty sting. Photographed July 4, 2016, at Shawnee State Forest.
Dot-lined White Moth. This species is closely related to the Large Tolype.
White Flannel Moth. This moth is more common in the southern United States than in Ohio. We are near the northern limit of its range. This individual was photographed at Cox Arboretum on August 11, 2017.
I have found several White Flannel Moths from late June through early August. As with the Black-waved Flannel Moths, their caterpillars have a very nasty sting. (The fuzzy adult moths are harmless.)
Dot-lined White Moths have at least two broods in our area. I find them in late June and early July, and also in October and November.
Large Tolype moth. Note that there are two similar species (the Larch Tolype and Small Tolype), but those species tend to be slightly smaller. Also, Small and Larch Tolypes are apparently not found in southwestern Ohio. Those two species feed on various conifer trees and are more to be expected in northern or eastern Ohio.
Dot-lined White Moth. I love those long fuzzy legs!
I find Large Tolypes in late September and early October.
White Furcula moth. More common in eastern Ohio, this is the only individual that has ever appeared at my lights. Found on July 29, 2023.