Moths and Butterflies of Massachusetts
Great Ash Sphinx
Sphinx chersis (great ash sphinx, northern ash sphinx) is a moth that belongs to the family Sphingidae.
Cobweb Skipper
Hesperia metea, the cobweb skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It has a scattered distribution in the United States from southern Maine west to Wisconsin, south to central Georgia, the Gulf States and central Texas.
Henry's Elfin
Callophrys henrici, the Henry's elfin or woodland elfin, is a North American butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. In Canada it is found from southern Manitoba to southern Nova Scotia. It has two main groups of populations in the United States; the first is found along the Atlantic Coast and uses various hollies (Ilex) as host plants; and the second is found ...more ↓
cherry casebearer
The cherry casebearer moth (Coleophora pruniella) is a moth of the Coleophoridae family. It is found in North America, including New York, Oklahoma, Utah, Ontario and British Columbia.
cherry blotchminer
The cherry blotch miner moth (Phyllonorycter propinquinella) is a moth of the Gracillariidae family. It is known from Canada (Québec and Nova Scotia) and the United States (Illinois, Ohio, Maine, Maryland, New York, Michigan, Vermont and Connecticut).
Morning-glory Plume Moth
Emmelina monodactyla (T-moth or morning-glory plume moth) is a moth of the family Pterophoridae. It is found in Europe, Japan, central Asia, North Africa and North America.
American Idia Moth
The American Idia or American Snout (Idia americalis) is a species of litter moth of the Erebidae family. It is found from southern Canada to Florida and Texas.
Common Idia Moth
The Common Idia, Powdered Snout, or Waved Tabby (Idia aemula) is a litter moth of the Erebidae family. It is found from Canada south to Florida and Texas and in most of Eurasia.
White M Hairstreak
Parrhasius m-album, the white M hairstreak, is a species of butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. It is found in the United States from Connecticut west to southeast Iowa and Missouri south to east Texas the Gulf Coast and peninsular Florida. On rare occasions some stray to Michigan and Wisconsin.
Bilobed Looper Moth
Stephens' gem or the bilobed looper (Megalographa biloba) is a moth of the Noctuidae family. It is widely distributed from the southern parts of the United States, south through Central America and South America up to Argentina. As a seasonal migrant it occurs even farther north into the northern parts of the United States and southern Canada. Here it usually produces one ...more ↓
Mouse Moth
The mouse moth (Amphipyra tragopoginis) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is a widespread species with a Holarctic distribution.
Common Carpet Moth
The common carpet or white-banded toothed carpet (Epirrhoe alternata) is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found throughout the Palearctic and the Near East. In North America it ranges across the northern tier of the United States plus every province and territory of Canada.
Banded Sphinx
Eumorpha fasciatus (banded sphinx moth) is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is found from northern Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, north through Central America (Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama) to southern California and southern Arizona, east to Texas, Mississippi, Florida and South ...more ↓
Azalea Sphinx
Darapsa choerilus (azalea sphinx) is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is found in the United States and southern Canada east of the Rocky Mountains.
Dark-spotted Palthis Moth
The Dark-spotted Palthis (Palthis angulalis) is a moth of the Erebidae family. It is found from Newfoundland west to coastal British Columbia, south to Florida and Texas.
Ilia Underwing
Catocala ilia, the Ilia underwing, beloved underwing or wife underwing, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species can be found in the eastern part of the United States as well as southern Canada. Subspecies Catocala ilia zoe can be found in California and Arizona.
Arborvitae Leafminer
The arborvitae leafminer, thuja mining moth or American thuja shoot moth (Argyresthia thuiella) is a moth of the Yponomeutidae family. It is found in southeastern Canada and the northeastern United States to North Carolina, west to Missouri, north to Manitoba. There is also an isolated population in British Columbia. The species is also present in Europe, ...more ↓
Mourning Underwing
The mournful underwing (Catocala flebilis) is a moth of the Erebidae family. It is found from Massachusetts and Connecticut south to North Carolina and Georgia, west to Arkansas and north to Michigan and Illinois and into southern Ontario.
Red-crossed Button Slug Moth
Tortricidia pallida, the red-crossed button slug, is a moth of the family Limacodidae described by Gottlieb August Wilhelm Herrich-Schäffer in 1854. It is found in eastern North America from Nova Scotia west to Minnesota and south to Louisiana.
Yellow-winged Oak Leafroller Moth
Argyrotaenia quercifoliana, the yellow-winged oak leafroller moth, is a species of moth of the Tortricidae family. It is found in eastern North America.
Black-and-yellow Lichen Moth
Lycomorpha pholus, the black-and-yellow lichen moth, is a moth in the family Erebidae. It is found in North America from Nova Scotia to North Carolina, west to South Dakota and Texas. The habitat consists of short-grass prairie.
Clover Hayworm Moth
Hypsopygia costalis, the gold triangle or clover hay moth, is a species of moth of the family Pyralidae. It was described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775 and is found in Europe. The wingspan is 16–23 mm. The adult moths fly from May to July, depending on the location. The supposed species H. aurotaenialis is included here pending further study.
Three-spotted Fillip
Heterophleps triguttaria, the three-spotted fillip, is a species of geometrid moth in the family Geometridae. It is found in North America.
Green Pug
The green pug (Pasiphila rectangulata) is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is sometimes placed in the genus Chloroclystis or Rhinoprora. It is common throughout the Palearctic region (from Ireland to Japan) and the Near East.
Morbid Owlet
Chytolita morbidalis, the Morbid Owlet Moth or Morbid Owlet, is a species of litter moth in the Erebidae family. It is found in large part of North America, from coast to coast in the north and south to North Carolina, Texas and Florida in the west. The habitat consists of deciduous woods and edges.
Kent's Geometer Moth
Selenia kentaria, commonly known as Kent's thorn or Kent's geometer, is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found in eastern and central North America.
Smeared Dagger
Acronicta oblinita, the smeared dagger moth, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in eastern North America, from Nova Scotia west across Canada to British Columbia, north to Lake Athabasca and south to Florida and Texas.
Bee Moth
Aphomia sociella, also known as the bee moth and the bumble bee wax moth, is a small moth of the family Pyralidae (snout moths) and subfamily Galleriinae. Its body and forewings are typically reddish brown, tan, or dark green in color and females have a dark spot in the center of each forewing. The bee moth is native to Europe and are named "bee moths" because they ...more ↓
Ugly-nest Caterpillar Moth
Archips cerasivorana, the ugly-nest caterpillar moth, is a species of moth of the Tortricidae family. The caterpillars of this species are known to create nests by tying the leaves of their host plant together. Within the nests, they live and feed off the leaves that have been tied together. The larvae are brownish or greenish yellow with a shiny dark brown head. Larvae ...more ↓
American Oak Beauty
Phaeoura quernaria, the Oak Beauty, is a moth of the Geometridae family. It is found in eastern North America, occurring as far west as east-central Alberta. The habitat consists of aspen-cherry shrubland.
Dimorphic Snout
The Dimorphic Bomolocha, Dimorphic Hypena or Toothed Snout-Moth (Hypena bijugalis) is a moth of the Noctuidae family. It is found from Nova Scotia across southern Canada to Vancouver Island, south to over the whole United States to Florida.
White Underwing
The White Underwing or The Relict (Catocala relicta) is a moth of the Erebidae family. It is found in southern Canada, from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island, south to Missouri, and Arizona.
Abbott's Sphinx
Sphecodina abbottii, the Abbott's sphinx, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It lives in eastern North America.
Confused Haploa Moth
Haploa confusa (confused haploa) is a moth of the family Erebidae that occurs in North America. The caterpillars feed on a Hound's tongue (Cynoglossum officinale).
Coleophora tiliaefoliella
Coleophora tiliaefoliella is a moth of the Coleophoridae family. It is found in North America, including Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Ontario.
White Slant-line
The White Slant-line or White Slaut (Tetracis cachexiata) is a moth of the Geometridae family. It is found from Nova Scotia to central British Columbia, south to northern Florida and west to Montana and northern Colorado.
Appalachian Brown
Lethe appalachia, known generally as the Appalachian brown or Appalachian eyed brown, is a species of brush-footed butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in North America.
Fall Armyworm Moth
The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is a species the order of Lepidoptera and is the larval life stage of a fall armyworm moth. It is regarded as a pest and can damage and destroy a wide variety of crops, causing large economic damage. Its scientific name derives from frugiperda, which is Latin for lost fruit, named because of the species' ability to destroy ...more ↓
Dejected Underwing
Catocala dejecta, the dejected underwing, is a moth of the Erebidae family. It is found from Massachusetts and Connecticut south through New Jersey to Florida, west to Texas and Oklahoma and north to southern Ontario.
Snowy Urola Moth
Urola nivalis, the snowy urola moth, is a moth of the Crambidae family. It is found from southern Canada and Maine, south to Florida and west to Illinois and Texas.
Garden Tortrix
Clepsis peritana, the garden tortrix or strawberry garden tortrix, is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found in Spain, Cuba, as well as North America, where it has been recorded from southern Canada throughout the United States.
Ultronia Underwing
The Dark Red Underwing or Ultronia Underwing (Catocala ultronia) is a moth of the Erebidae family. It is found in most of eastern North America, south to Florida and Texas. It ranges west across the southern parts of Canada to extreme southeast British Columbia.
Squash Vine Borer Moth
The squash vine borer (Melittia cucurbitae) is a diurnal species of sesiid moth. It is a pest that attacks wild and cultivated varieties of squash. The moth is often mistaken for a bee or wasp because of its movements, and the bright orange hindleg scales. The females typically lay their eggs at the base of leaf stalks, and the caterpillars develop and feed inside the stalk, ...more ↓
Double-banded Grass-veneer
Crambus agitatellus, the double-banded grass-veneer moth, is a moth of the Crambidae family. It is found in the eastern two-thirds of the United States and south-eastern Canada.
Omnivorous Leafroller
Archips purpuranus, the omnivorous leafroller moth, is a species of moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found in most of eastern North America.
Wavy-lined Fan-foot
The Wavy-lined Zanclognatha (Zanclognatha jacchusalis) is a litter moth of the Erebidae family. It was described by Walker in 1859. It is found from Wisconsin to Maine, south to Georgia and Louisiana.
Early Fan-foot
Zanclognatha cruralis, the early zanclognatha, is a species of litter moth of the Erebidae family. It is found from Wisconsin east through southern Canada, south to Florida and Texas.
Variable Fan-foot
The Variable Zanclognatha (Zanclognatha laevigata) is a litter moth of the Erebidae family. It was described by Grote in 1872. It is found from Manitoba to Nova Scotia, south to Florida and Missouri.
Peck's Skipper
Polites peckius, the Peck's skipper, is a North American butterfly in the family Hesperiidae (skippers), subfamily Hesperiinae (grass skippers). This skipper ranges across Canada from British Columbia, as far north as Cartwright, Labrador; Moar Lake, Ontario; Leaf Rapids, Manitoba; and the Hay River area in Alberta. In the US, it ranges in most of the northern and central ...more ↓
White Spring Moth
Lomographa vestaliata, the White Spring Moth, is a moth in the family Geometridae. It is found in North America, where it has been recorded from Newfoundland west to south-eastern British Columbia and south to Florida and Texas. The habitat consists of xeric shrubby edges and woodlands.
Yellow-lined Owlet
Colobochyla interpuncta (swamp belle or yellow-lined owlet) is a species of moth of the family Erebidae. It is found in wetlands from Wisconsin to Nova Scotia south to Florida and Texas.
Herald Moth
The herald (Scoliopteryx libatrix) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found throughout the Palearctic and Nearctic (Holarctic).
Canadian Owlet
Calyptra canadensis, the Canadian owlet, is a moth of the Noctuoidea family. It is found from Nova Scotia to North Carolina in mountains, west to Texas, north to Saskatchewan. Occasionally straying to Alberta.
Raspberry Pyrausta Moth
Pyrausta signatalis, the raspberry pyrausta moth, is a moth in the family Crambidae. It was described by Francis Walker in 1866. It is found in North America, where it has been recorded from British Columbia to Ontario, south to North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Arizona. The habitat consists of aspen parkland and grasslands.
Harnessed Tiger Moth
Apantesis phalerata (harnessed tiger moth) is a species of moth of the family Erebidae. It is found from Ontario, Quebec and Maine to Florida, west to Texas, north to South Dakota.
Drexel's Datana Moth
Datana drexelii, or Drexel's datana, is a species of prominent moth in the family Notodontidae. It is found in North America.
Eyed Brown
Satyrodes eurydice, the eyed brown or marsh eyed brown, is a species of Satyrinae butterfly that is native to North America.
European Corn Borer Moth
The European corn worm or European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis), also known as the European high-flyer, is a pest of grain, particularly maize. The insect is native to Europe, originally infesting varieties of millet, including broom corn. The European corn borer (ECB) was first reported in North America in 1917 in Massachusetts, but was probably introduced from Europe ...more ↓
Common Looper Moth
The Common Looper Moth (Autographa precationis) is a moth of the Noctuidae family. It is found in eastern and central North America.
Twin-spotted Sphinx
Smerinthus jamaicensis (twin-spotted sphinx) is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is widely distributed across North America and is found everywhere except in the southern half of western California. It has been taken as far north as the Yukon.
Cross-lined Wave
The Cross-lined Wave Moth or Cobra Inchworm (Timandra amaturaria) is a species of moth of the Geometridae family. It is found from Massachusetts to Florida, west to Texas and north to Wisconsin.
Spotted Beet Webworm Moth
Hymenia perspectalis, the spotted beet webworm moth, is a species of moth of the Crambidae family. It is found in various parts of the world, including North America, where it is found from Maine to Florida, west to Texas and north to Michigan and Ontario. It is also found in Belize, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Australia (Queensland), the Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, La Réunion ...more ↓
Spotted Peppergrass Moth
Eustixia is a genus of moths of the Crambidae family, consisting of only one species, the spotted peppergrass moth (Eustixia pupula). It is found from Massachusetts to Florida, west to Texas and north to Ontario.
Mint-loving Pyrausta Moth
Pyrausta acrionalis, the mint-loving pyrausta moth, is a moth of the family Crambidae. It is found in eastern North America, including Alabama, Georgia, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New York, Ontario, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Bidens Borer Moth
Epiblema otiosana, the bidens borer, gets its common name from the genus Bidens which includes the food plants for the larva. An adults wingspan ranges from 12 to 20 mm. They range in North America from Maine and Ontario in the north, south to Florida and west to Kansas and Texas.
Common Grass-veneer
Crambus praefectellus, the common grass-veneer or silver-striped webworm, is a moth of the Crambidae family described by Johann Leopold Theodor Friedrich Zincken in 1821. It is found in the United States and southern Canada east of the Rocky Mountains.
Gem Moth
The Gem (Orthonama obstipata) is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is a common species of Continental Europe and adjacent lands, though in the northeast, its range does not significantly extend beyond the Baltic region and it is absent from northern Russia. This well-flying species is somewhat prone to vagrancy and able to cross considerable distances of open sea; it ...more ↓
Bent-lined Carpet
Costaconvexa centrostrigaria, the traveller or bent-line carpet, is a moth in the family Geometridae. It is native to most of North America, except the Arctic. It is an introduced species in Great Britain, the Canary Islands, the Azores and Madeira.
Bold-feathered Grass Moth
The bold-feathered grass moth (Herpetogramma pertextalis) is a species of moth of the family Crambidae. It is found in North America.
Small Engrailed
The engrailed and small engrailed (Ectropis crepuscularia) are moths of the family Geometridae found from the British Isles through Central and Eastern Europe to the Russian Far East and Kazakhstan. The western Mediterranean and Asia Minor and the Caucasus represent the southern limit of the distribution (with the Balkan countries). In the north, the distribution area ...more ↓
Straight-toothed Sallow
Eupsilia vinulenta, the straight-toothed sallow moth, is a moth in the family Noctuidae described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1864. It is found in North America.
Grayish Fan-foot
The Grayish Zanclognatha (Zanclognatha pedipilalis) is a litter moth of the Erebidae family. It is found in eastern North America, from Nova Scotia south to Florida and Mississippi, west to Alberta and Kansas.
Beggar Moth
Eubaphe mendica, the beggar, is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found in eastern North America.
Ironweed Root Moth
Polygrammodes flavidalis, the ironweed root moth, is a moth in the Crambidae family. It is found in North America, where it has been recorded from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and ...more ↓
Dark Marathyssa Moth
Marathyssa inficita, the dark marathyssa, is a species of owlet moths, etc. in the family Euteliidae. It is found in North America.
Smoky Idia Moth
Idia scobialis, the smoky idia, is a litter moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1880. It is found in North America from Michigan, southern Quebec and Maine, south to Florida and at least Kentucky.
Confused Eusarca Moth
Eusarca confusaria, the confused eusarca, is a member of the family Geometridae that occurs in North America. It is the only member of the genus Eusarca that inhabits the northern portion of the United States and Canada.
Lettered Fan-foot
The Lettered Zanclognatha (Zanclognatha lituralis) is a litter moth of the Erebidae family. It was described by Hübner in 1818. It is found from Wisconsin to Nova Scotia, south to Florida and Texas.
Sweetheart Underwing
Catocala amatrix, the sweetheart underwing, is a moth of the Erebidae family. The species can be found from Nova Scotia, south through Connecticut to Florida and west through Texas and Oklahoma to Arizona and north to Montana, Minnesota, and Ontario.
Variable Narrow-wing
Magusa divaricata is a moth of the Noctuidae family. It is found from eastern Canada south through the Caribbean and Central America to Paraguay and Argentina. It is a migratory species, which travels north in late summer and fall. The species is commonly known as Orbed Narrow-wing, but this name may also be applied to Magusa orbifera.
Delicate Cycnia Moth
Cycnia tenera, the dogbane tiger moth or delicate cycnia, is a moth in the family Erebidae. It occurs throughout North America, from southern British Columbia to Nova Scotia southwards to Arizona and Florida. The species is distasteful and there is evidence that it emits aposematic ultrasound signals; these may also jam bat echolocation, as the functions are not ...more ↓
Habilis Underwing
The Habilis Underwing (Catocala habilis) is a moth of the Erebidae family. It is found from Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, and New Brunswick south through Connecticut and New Jersey to North Carolina and west to Arkansas.
Forked Grass-veneer
Crambus bidens, bidens grass-veneer, is a moth in the Crambidae family. It was described by Zeller in 1872. It is found in North America, where it has been recorded from Massachusetts, New York, Ontario, New Jersey, Quebec, Michigan and Alberta. The habitat consists of bogs.
Girard's Grass-veneer
Crambus girardellus, or Girard's grass-veneer moth, is a moth in the Crambidae family described by Clemens in 1860. It is found in North America, including Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, Labrador, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and Michigan.
Mottled Grass-veneer
Neodactria luteolellus, the mottled grass-veneer, is a moth in the Crambidae family. It was described by James Brackenridge Clemens in 1860. It is found in North America, where it has been recorded from Labrador and Quebec to North Carolina, west to Arizona and California and north to Alberta. The habitat consists of grassland areas in prairies, aspen parklands and boreal ...more ↓
Lesser Grapevine Looper Moth
Eulithis diversilineata, the lesser grapevine looper, is a moth in the family Geometridae. The caterpillars are known to feed on Virginia creeper.
Greater Grapevine Looper Moth
Eulithis gracilineata, the greater grapevine looper, is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found from eastern Canada south to Florida. It has also been collected west to Saskatchewan and central Alberta, where it is rare.
Wormwood Pug
The wormwood pug (Eupithecia absinthiata) is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is a common species across the Palearctic region and the Near East, as well as North America.
Common Tan Wave
Pleuroprucha insulsaria, the common tan wave moth, is a species of moth of the family Geometridae. It is found in eastern North America, from Nova Scotia to Florida, west to Texas and Colorado and north to Ontario. It ranges south through Mexico and Central America into South America (including Venezuela) and has been recorded as far south as the Galapagos Islands. It has ...more ↓
Soft-lined Wave
Scopula inductata (soft-lined wave) is a moth of the family Geometridae. It was described by Guenée in 1857. It is found in North America, east of the Rocky Mountains, from Newfoundland to the coast of British Columbia, north to the Northwest Territories, south to Alabama and at least Utah.
One-spotted Variant
Hypagyrtis unipunctata, the one-spotted variant moth or white spot, is a moth of the family Geometridae. The species can be found from Nova Scotia to Florida, west to Texas, northwest to British Columbia. It is also found in Eurasia.
Northern Finned Prominent
Notodonta torva, the large dark prominent, is a moth of the family Notodontidae. It is found in most of Europe (although it is a very rare immigrant to Great Britain), east to the China, Korea and Japan.
