Ailanthus Webworm

Description:

The Ailanthus webworm is thought to be native to South Florida and the American tropics (south to Costa Rica), habitat to its original larval host plants, the Paradise Tree (Simarouba glauca) and Simarouba amara. Another tree called Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima), originally from China, has been widely introduced and Atteva aurea has jumped to this new host plant (giving it its common name, Ailanthus webworm).

Habitat:

The moth does not survive cold winters, but migrates north each year so it is commonly seen in summer throughout the continental US, and occasionally eastern Canada (its northern limit in eastern Ontario and south-western Quebec beyond the host range).

Notes:

I spotted a bunch of these moths while working at Oak Hall. Some of them were mating.