Members of the Saturniidae family, also known as wild silk moths, are the largest moths in North America. Common species found in Virginia include the luna moth, which has a long curving tail and pale green wings; the Io moth, which is an agricultural plague during its larval stage; the Polyphemus moth, with an average wingspan of 5 inches; the Ailanthus silkmoth, which was introduced from China in the 19th century; and the sweetbay silkmoth, often found in coastal areas.
Members of the family Sphingidae are known as sphinx, hummingbird or hawk moths, because some species are large and feed hoovering in front of flowers. Common species in Virginia include the pink-spotted hawkmoth, the elm sphinx, the waved sphinx, the ash sphinx and the rustic sphinx, which can reach up to 6 inches in wingspan, and attack potato, tobacco, tomato and other food crops when in the larval stage. Although 2,900 species of the family Noctuidae are found in North America, only 11 species live in Virginia, including the tobacco budworm moth and the brown-hooded owlet.
The family Notodontidae include moths also known as prominents, which feature wings with fluffy tufts. Virginia common species include the black-spotted prominent, with grey males and tan to yellow females; the double-toothed prominent, which has a dark band on its wings; and the white-dotted prominent, which is tan to yellow, and has the appearance of a dry leaf. Three species of the family Erebidae are found in Virginia: the common oak moth, the widow moth and the locust underwing moth.
Arctiidae moths are often yellow, orange, red or white with black markings on the wings. Also called lichen or tiger moths, their larvae are hairy and are often called "woolly bears." Common species in Virginia include the Packard's lichen moth, the salt marsh or Acrea moth, the clymene moth and the Anna tiger moth. Although Geometridae is one of the largest families of moths in North America, and includes several forest and agricultural pests, only five species are found in Virginia: pale beauty, tulip-tree beauty, dotted gray, large maple spanworm moth and white slant-line.