Caterpillars

• Milkweed tussock moths often use milkweed as a host for their caterpillars. These caterpillars are communal feeders and eat in large groups with as many as 50 members. They will devour the leaves of your milkweed entirely and leave behind only a skeleton of the plant. The caterpillar resembles a small black brush with tufts of orange rising from its back and a few tufts of white protruding from both sides at the top and bottom of the caterpillar. These tufts are also called "tussocks" and give the moth its name.
  
  

Moths

• Once the caterpillar has changed into a moth, its appearance will change dramatically. The moth's body becomes orange with a few black spots lining its back; it also has two long antennae and large, gray wings. Another distinguishing feature is the small hair-like material that seems to cover this moth's wings. The milkweed tussock moth has a special membranes in its body which it can vibrate to produce a mating call.
  
  

Habitat

• These moths reside in the eastern portion of the United States and are also found in Quebec and Ontario. Milkweed tussock moths are active during the summer months, starting in May and ending in September. They will go anywhere they can find their favorite plant, typically in large fields. While the caterpillars use the milkweed plant as a host, the adult moths can often be found on the plant during the day.
  
  

Monarch Butterflies

• Although not a moth itself, many people confuse the monarch butterfly caterpillar with that of the milkweed tussock moth. Both the moth and the butterfly use milkweed plants as a food source and a host for their larvae. However, both the monarch butterfly and its caterpillars are quite different than the milkweed tussock moth. Monarch butterflies have large orange wings with brown lines and white spots, while their caterpillars are smooth and have a striped green, white and black pattern.