---
title: "Definite Tussock Moth"
description: "Orgyia definita — Insects & spiders. Orgyia definita, the definite tussock moth or definite-marked tussock moth, is a moth of the family Erebidae."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/definite-tussock-moth
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Definite Tussock Moth

> Orgyia definita — Insects & spiders. Orgyia definita, the definite tussock moth or definite-marked tussock moth, is a moth of the family Erebidae.

- Scientific name: *Orgyia definita*
- Category: `insects` (Insects & spiders)
- Habitats: `forest` (Forest)
- iNaturalist observations: 10586
- Wikidata: [Q7102160](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7102160)
- iNaturalist taxon: [122716](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/122716)

## Names

- en: Definite Tussock Moth

## Countries with the most observations

US (5987), CA (1826), MX (14)

## Summary

Orgyia definita, the definite tussock moth or definite-marked tussock moth, is a moth of the family Erebidae. It was first described by Alpheus Spring Packard in 1865. The species is found in eastern North America from Minnesota to New Brunswick and south to South Carolina, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
The wingspan is about 30 mm for males; females are wingless.
The larvae feed on Salix, Quercus, Tilia, Ulmus, Betula, Acer rubrum, and Hamamelis virginiana.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orgyia_definita

## Photo

![Definite Tussock Moth](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/definite-tussock-moth/medium.jpg)

Photo: Mirko Schoenitz · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/133803892

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/definite-tussock-moth?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).