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Ailanthus Webworm

Atteva aurea[3]

The ailanthus webworm is a small, narrow orange moth with white black-ringed spots that visits flowers by day; its caterpillars live together in flimsy webs on tree-of-heaven (ailanthus).[1][2]

Group
Insect
Order
Lepidoptera
Family
Attevidae
US records
33 states
Sources
3 cited
Updated
2026-10-16
Orange ailanthus webworm moth with white spots outlined in black on yellow flowers
Orange ailanthus webworm moth with white spots outlined in black on yellow flowers. (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) — via iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0
On this page
  1. Identification
  2. Look-alikes
  3. Where it lives
  4. Biology
  5. Damage and signs
  6. Health risk
  7. Control
  8. Related profiles
  9. Common questions
  10. Sources

How to identify it

  • Adults are about 1/2 inch, yellow-orange with bands of white spots outlined in black, and hold the wings curled tightly along the body.[1][2]
  • Caterpillars are slender, brown to nearly black, with pale stripes or white dots and a lighter head; several life stages live together in the web.[1][2]

Look-alikes

Look-alikeHow to tell them apart
Webbing caterpillarsOther caterpillars also live in webs or tents, but the host (usually ailanthus) and mixed life stages in one web point to this species.[2]

Where it lives

Native from southern Florida to Central America on paradise trees, it spread north with the invasive tree-of-heaven and is now found widely, including North Carolina and Missouri.[1][2]

US map: public records from 33 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

Adults fly by day and visit many flowers, and they also come to lights at night.[1][2]

Damage and signs

  • Caterpillars feed on tree-of-heaven and paradise tree; adults are considered good pollinators.[1][2]

Health risk

None to people or pets.[1][2]

Control

Pesticides

Rarely needed; NC State says most landscape-labeled insecticides control it if necessary.[1]

Common questions

What is the bright orange moth with white spots on my flowers?
Likely an ailanthus webworm moth.[1][2]
What are the webs on my tree-of-heaven?
Ailanthus webworm caterpillars live together in flimsy webs on its leaves.[1][2]
Is it native?
It is native farther south and spread north with invasive tree-of-heaven.[2]

Sources

  1. NC State Extension, “Ailanthus Webworm (PDIC Factsheet).” content.ces.ncsu.edu/ailanthus-webworm (accessed 2026-10-15)
  2. Missouri Department of Conservation, “Ailanthus Webworm Moth (Field Guide).” mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/ailanthus-webworm-moth (accessed 2026-10-15)
  3. iNaturalist, “Atteva aurea taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/116681 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-16. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.