Ailanthus Webworm Moth

September 17, 2026

Another creature that looks like it’s all set for Halloween. The Ailanthus Webworm Moth (Atteva aurea).

The host plant of this moth, almost exclusively, is the invasive, Tree of Heaven (Ailantus altissima). So it is doing no harm. As an adult it seeks the nectar from a variety of flowers. This moth is diurnal, or active during the day. The long thin look happens when the moth wraps its wings tightly around its body. Its length is about 0.4 to 0.6 inches, and it has a wingspan of around 0.5 to 1.25 inches.

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Published by

Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.

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