The Ailanthus Webworm (Atteva aurea) is an ermine moth found commonly in the United States. This small, colorful moth resembles a true bug or beetle when not in flight, but when in flight it resembles a wasp. Its original range included the American tropics since its host tree (Paradise Tree) is found in this geographic range. Although these two trees were the Webworms original host plants, it has since expanded its range to include another host plant Ailanthus altissima. Tree-of-Heaven is the host plant of several invasive species such as the Spotted Lanternfly This expansion of its range to nest in A. altissima is what resulted in its common name the Ailanthus Webworm Moth.thumb|Ailanthus webworm in [[Ailanthus altissima tree]]
Climate
Originally found in the Southern U.S, the moth is commonly seen in summer throughout the continental US (although it has not reached the most Western States), and occasionally eastern Canada.
Life cycle
Larvae (caterpillars) build nests on the host plant by pulling the leaves together around a network of webbing. They will then live there and consume the leaves of the host plant. Eggs are found individually, not in clusters, even though each web may contain many separate eggs. The caterpillars have a wide, light greenish-brown stripe down their backs and several thin, alternating white and olive-green stripes along their sides. The range of colors is from light brown to dark black. The adult moth visits flowers, is diurnal, and is a pollinator. The life cycle from egg to pupa can happen in four weeks. This can result in a communal web that has multiple generations and insects from all life stages. This is a result of the moths being gregarious, meaning that they live in communities.
Taxonomy
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Image:Atteva edithella.JPG|Atteva edithella, now considered a synonym of Atteva aurea
Image:Atteva exquisita.JPG|Atteva exquisita, now considered a synonym of Atteva aurea
Image:Atteva ergatica.JPG|Atteva ergatica, now considered a synonym of Atteva aurea
Image:Atteva microsticta.JPG|Atteva microsticta, now considered a synonym of Atteva aurea
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Wilson et al. (2010) discovered that morphologically similar Attevid moths were assigned two different names, Atteva ergatica in Costa Rica and Atteva punctella in North America, but had identical DNA barcodes.