When it add up to fluttering , ambrosia - sucking backyard insect , butterfly stroke lean to get all the tending . Sure , they ’re very pretty , but did you know their nocturnal cousins can be just as spectacular to see ?
Let ’s put moth in the spot for once ! You might be surprised by how many gorgeous species could be overlooked ( or slip for butterflies ) in your very own garden .
First, is it a moth or a butterfly?
Some moths are so big and vibrant that it ’s hard to tell them aside from butterflies . Some are also diurnal , so they fly around at the same prison term as butterfly , drinking ambrosia from the same case of blossom while pollinating your garden . Yep , they ’re in reality extremely underestimated pollinators ! ( Andmoths have other benefit in your yardtoo . )
you may usually discern one from the other by looking at a few key equipment characteristic :
These are just generalizations , however , as there are definitely exception , especially in other part of the world .
( Also be trusted to ascertain out my guides onidentifying green caterpillarsandstriped caterpillars ; many of them transubstantiate into the moth trace here . )
16 beautiful garden moth species
Luna moth (Actias luna)
When it comes to pretty moths in North America , the luna moth ( Actias luna ) is a clear success . With its pastel gullible wings with empurpled accent , kite - similar “ tail ” and big wingspan ( up to 7 inches ! ) , this moth is one of the more spectacular insects you may encounter in your garden .
Part of the silkmoth family Saturniidae , the luna moth is course detect in the eastern US and Canada . The species is n’t rare , but this is n’t a hemipteron you ’ll come across every 24-hour interval . This is mostly because like other moths of its family , adults do n’t corrode . They concentre alone on reproduce and only live on for around a week . So if you discover one , revel it while it lasts !
Caterpillar : Large and green with pilus on top . It eats the farewell of trees like birch , hickory , walnut , and more . The caterpillar molting several times before spinning its typical silk cocoon .
Did you know?
Various silkmoth species , including this one , have elongate bottom wings . Scientific subject area suggest this aid them disturb echo sounding and thereby avoid moth - thirsty bats .
Rosy maple moth (Dryocampa rubicunda)
So if the said luna moth is my top pick for the pretty North American moth specie , then the rose-cheeked maple moth is a very solid runner - up . Its shades of hopeful orchid pinkish and pale Au make this one a substantial stunner , and it ’s furry to boot !
Another silkmoth mintage , the rosy maple moth acquire its colors and wing pattern for camouflage purposes . sound odd , but place one next to a maple seminal fluid and you ’ll infer .
Rosy maple moth are native to the easterly US and north into Canada . If your garden has maple Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , you ’re certain to pick out them , though be flying : like other saturniid moths , the adult do n’t eat and therefore have a very short life .
cat : Known as immature - striped mapleworms , which is a pretty solid way to describe them in three words .
Hummingbird clearwing (Hemaris thysbe)
Moths of the genus Hemaris , the clearwings , are also come to to as hummingbird moth . It ’s not hard to see why . If you hap to spot one of these vacillate next to a flower from the corner of your middle , it really is likely you ’ll confuse it with a hummingbird .
translate more : How toidentify common hummingbirds in your garden
Unlike saturniid moths , extremity of the kinsperson Sphingidae such as this one do feed in their adult form . They have long proboscises ( tongues ) that they can unwind to suck ambrosia from tubular heyday . They do so while hovering in mid - air travel and speedily flitting from one flower to the next .
Hummingbird clearwings are common in gardens , especially if you grow pink or purple flowers . They mostly pass off in the easterly US , although they also sometimes pop up in the northwest . The species is migrant , moving from north to Dixie yearly in search of warmth and food .
Caterpillar : Green in color with point and a lighter , horizontal melodic line down its back , plus a characteristic “ shadow . ” It eat the leaves of various plant species , include cerise trees , hawthorn , and honeysuckle .
In the eastern and central US , plus all of southern Canada , you may also add up across the snowberry clearwing . This beautiful Hemaris coinage is also called the bumblebee moth , as its furred trunk and formula make it look just like a bumblebee .
Polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus)
brownish disguise colors do n’t have to touch boring . Moths prove this over and over , but one of the species that does it well is the large polyphemus moth . This saturniid moth has a wingspread of up to 6 inches and feature a adorable medley of tan to brown coloration , interspersed with hit pinkish scoring and two large ( plus two small ) eyespots .
This moth is found throughout the United States and much of Canada , although it ’s most common in the eastern United States . Its grownup lifespan is about a week , although in most region , two generations per year are produced .
Caterpillar : Green in color with thin , vertical lines and sparse hairs . It eats a variety of tree foliage , but prefers elm , birch and willow tree .
Tiger moth (Arctia caja)
Ever heard of startle colouration ? It ’s a self - defense proficiency that ’s coarse in moth . fundamentally , their wings look invisible in their closed posture . When they ’re approached by a predator and vanish off , the wings unresolved to reveal an unexpected color and/or pattern .
The aforementioned polyphemus moth uses its big eyespot , which resemble owl eyes , to galvanize predators . An excellent choice , but I would n’t consider it the champion of startle coloration : that honour become to the tiger moth , Arctia caja .
A resting Panthera tigris moth is already quite a mass to see , with a sort of camelopard - like jam pattern of dark brown and ointment colouration . When it opens its wings , though , a flash bulb of bright orange is uncovered ! A real sight to see , and a clear sign to any predator that it ’s toxic and does n’t make for good eating .
Tiger moths are found in the northerly , central , and westerly US , where they prefer coolheaded mood .
cat : Called the wooly bear caterpillar , and it is indeed very hairy . Caterpillars are orangish on the bottom and benighted brown on top , with small white dots . They eat toxic plants in ordination to become toxic themselves .
muzzy moth are harmless and can be handled very well ( although they ’re fragile and you should keep it to a minimum ) . Fuzzy caterpillars are a different story : their hair’s-breadth unremarkably have skin soreness . As soft as they search , it ’s best to leave the wooly bear be !
Cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia)
Wowza ! Say hi to the large moth metal money in the US , the cecropia moth . With a wingspan of up to 7 inch , this spectacular specie is a real treat to ascertain in your garden . Another silkmoth , it sports a pretty pattern of different shades of brown and tan on its huge wing .
The cecropia moth moth is find oneself mostly in the eastern US ( pitiful westerner — as you may have acknowledge , you guy wire just do n’t have as many moths ! ) and up into Canada . It lives around two calendar week , longer than some other silkmoths , but only one multiplication per year is develop .
cat : Bizarre ! It ’s green to yellow or chocolate-brown and clearly segmented , with coloured , black - spiked protrusion in dark glasses of red , yellow and blue all over its torso . It mostly rust maple leaves .
Io moth (Automeris io)
Holy eyespots , Batman ! Many moth species have eye - like patterns on their wings in parliamentary law to confuse predators , but the io moth has taken this construct to a whole new level . Both the yellow male person and the reddish - brown females romp large disgraceful spots with a panache of white in the nerve center . The spots are surrounded by strike cerise - pinkish coloration .
Found in the easterly to central United States and southern Canada , this saturniid moth is n’t very finical about habitat . It can be bump everywhere from timber to gardens , so as long as you ’ve got some tree diagram for the Caterpillar to fee on , it should be easy enough to attract to your backyard .
Caterpillar : Brown to green with spines . Do n’t relate it if you do n’t want a painful blizzard ! It exhaust the leaves of various Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree species , including mulberry , willow , and many more .
Promethea moth (Callosamia promethea)
allow ’s keep it croak with the saturniid moths — there are just so many gorgeous species out there ! Another stunner for this list is Callosamia promethea , well known as the promethea moth or spicebush silkmoth , which is naturally found in the eastern US .
Like the aforementioned io moth , the promethea moth is distinctly sexually dimorphous . The female person sport a variety of beautiful reddish - brown and tan colors , include two eyespots . The males , on the other script , mimic a poisonous butterfly ( the pipevine swallowtail butterfly ) for trade protection . Their wing are dark brown with lighter , patterned edges .
tie in : Have youseen any of these butterflies in your garden ?
Caterpillar : Green with dots along its side , as well as scandalmongering and red protuberances . They eat various plants in the rose wine , olive , and laurel family .
Strangely , male and female promethea moths are n’t active at the same time . The female person are mostly nocturnal , while the male pilot during the day . They manage to line up each other in the early evening to mate , though .
Imperial moth (Eacles imperialis)
When you first spot an imperial moth , it can be hard to figure out what advantage its strange yellowish and dark-brown mottled coloration could possibly offer . But as we visualise with the rose-cheeked maple moth , which copy maple seeds , there ’s always a reason to be found . In this case , the imperial moth perfectly mimic a decay leaf for camo role !
Found mostly in the easterly US , a little part of southeastern Canada and far into Latin America , this saturniid moth grows to an telling wingspread of almost 8 inches . It inhabits forests , both deciduous and pine , so you ’re most likely to find one in your railway yard if you hold out in a wooded area .
Caterpillar:(Reddish ) brown to green , with dots running along its slope . somewhat hairy and with yellowish - to - brown protuberances . They eat the leaves of various tree diagram , admit conifer like pines and deciduous metal money such as maple .
There ’s a whole bunch of imperial moth race . you could regain individuals ranging from almost completely yellow to totally brown — and everything in between .
Pacific green sphinx moth (Proserpinus lucidus)
Also know as the bear sphinx moth , this nocturnal ravisher has a unforesightful , stalwart body and a wingspread of about 2 inch . Its fore wing is densely covered in shining cat valium to olive unripened scales with tan border , and its hindwing is rosy pinkish to embrown in color . It almost look like a jewel that Cleopatra would have worn !
As its name suggests , the Pacific green sphinx moth is find throughout the Pacific seacoast region ( Washington , Oregon , Idaho , and California ) and fly in early give . It can be seen in ALT ranging from 200 feet to 3,500 feet , where it prefers sagebrush steppe , mixed grasslands , ponderosa pine forests , and juniper forest — if you inhabit in ( or on the edge of ) any of these home ground , you ’re bound to find one .
cat : Green and plunk down with pitch-black dots on each section along its sides . It fertilize on various species of the Onagraceae family , include Clarkias , evening primrose , and Oenothera fruticosa .
White-lined sphinx moth (Hyles lineata)
Here ’s another stunning moth for indweller of the western US ! The bloodless - seamed sphinx moth is related to the hummingbird clearwing moth we discussed to begin with . Rather than transparent wings , though , it shoot a line a pretty pattern of brown , tan , and pinkish .
This species is naturally institute throughout all of the US , as well as in some of Canada and down to Central America .
Unlike saturniid , sphinx moth do consume as adults , and they have a huge gustatory perception for flowers . They ’re peachy pollinators that are easy to attract to your yard with flower like lilac , Aquilegia canadensis , clover , and much more . It ’s riveting to see them hovering perfectly still while they suck nectar from a bloom !
Caterpillar : Large and green , with spots down its slope and a motor horn . It likes a wide range of leaves , including those of nightshades like tomato , as well as orchard apple tree and elm tree .
Giant leopard moth (Hypercompe scribonia)
With a wingspan of up to 3 inch , the jumbo Panthera pardus moth is indeed a giant among the member of its subfamily , Arctiinae ( the tiger or lichen moths ) . Its with child sizing , combined with its blow leopard coat , make this one sluttish to spot in your garden . It sports a white base covered with blackish - juicy rings and spots .
Native to eastern North America and all the way of life down into Colombia , the jumbo leopard moth populate a mixture of home ground types , including woods , open meadows , and backyards . Like the saturniid moths , the adult do n’t deplete , so their lifespan is very limited .
cat : Of the “ woolly bear ” type , with black bristles and red segments that become visible when it curls up into a defensive ball . Unlike many similar caterpillars , it ’s not venomous . It likes a wide variety of industrial plant , from tree to garden weeds .
The giant leopard moth overwinters in its caterpillar form , commonly squeeze under some tree bark for protection . This is n’t an unusual manoeuvre , although dissimilar species may overwinter as eggs , pupa , or even adults . Yet others , include some sphinx moths like the hummingbird clearwing , are migratory .
Regal moth (Citheronia regalis)
majestic indeed ! Another point - turning saturniid moth , Citheronia regalis also happens to be one of the prominent in North America , reaching a wingspread of up to 6 column inch . The specie has grayish - greenish wings with fiery ruby-red - Orange River stripes and white-livered spots , which are also present on the fuzzy body .
This moth is mostly launch in the southeastern United States , although it can at times be spotted as far north as southerly Michigan . Since their caterpillars eat the leaf of specific tree species , they mostly pop up in forested regions .
Caterpillar : The luna moth mentioned at the head start of this mail may be the most salient moth on the list , but this is easy the most spectacular caterpillar . Known as the hickory horned devil , it ’s large and pale greenish with black bristle . It sports up to ten reddish - chocolate-brown horns right behind the head . Wacky , although the horn are n’t actually deadly .
The hickory horned devil like hickory ( who would have think ! ) , but it also exhaust sweetgum , sumac , and more .
Oleander hawk moth (Daphnis nerii)
This remarkable moth has a tumid wingspan that stretch along up to 4 inches , with tan ocellus toward the front . Its fender are a patchwork of green colors , from wakeful green to olive green to forest green , interspersed with bands of white and tan . The distinctive pattern almost resembles military camouflage , root on its other name : army green moth .
While the Nerium oleander hawk moth is native to Asia , Africa , and division of Europe , it arrived in Hawaii in the seventies — the only place in North America where it ’s found . The grownup moth are specially active during twilight hours as they feed on fragrant flower like Australian honeysuckle , jasmine , and petunia .
Caterpillar : Plump and immature with two blue eyespots and a approach pattern of tiny clean and down in the mouth dots ( ringed in Shirley Temple Black ) down its sides . Oleander hawk moth Caterpillar are partial to rose bay , whose toxic leave have no effect on them .
Pandora sphinx moth (Eumorpha pandorus)
The pandora sphinx moth is like in looks to the aforementioned rose bay hawk moth . Take a close look , though , and you ’ll observe a few differences . First and foremost , pandoras lack the oleander hawk moth ’s characteristic eyespot . The unripe radiation diagram on their wings can be described as perhaps more “ blockish . ”
This sphinx moth also has a panoptic range , hand out throughout southeastern Canada and the eastern US .
cat : await like a standardhornworm , except it ’s a reddish - brownish in coloration rather than green . It has ocellus down its sides and like industrial plant in the grapeshot category Vitaceae .
Spotted Apatelodes (Apatelodes torrefacta)
The make out Apatelodes moth is an strange - look species with elongated , triangular - shaped wings in the resting state . It ’s highly camouflaged with grey - dark-brown gloss and some spotting , which can make it almost unseeable against a scope of tree bark .
aboriginal to southern Canada and the eastern to key US , this moth ( and the other members of its family , Apatelodidae ) can be acknowledge by an interesting behavior that does n’t appear to be fully realise yet . Namely , it tends to lift its venter so its “ posterior ” sticks up . perchance it ’s a defensive thing , perhaps it help in releasing pheromones — who knows !
As with some of the other moth on this listing , the adult do n’t eat .
cat : So fuzzy and yellow it almost looks fake , particularly with those dark horn sticking out ! measured , apparently its hair can burn . It eats ash , maple , oak , and Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in the cherry family .
source :
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Tartaglia , E. S. ( 2013).Hawkmoth - flower fundamental interaction in the urban landscape : family Sphingidae ecology , with a focal point on the genus Hemaris . Rutgers The State University of New Jersey , School of Graduate Studies .
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