Moths belong to the Lapidoptera order. They are scaly-winged insects with their wing patterns and colors being formed by thousands of scales. Moths are mostly nocturnal and you will encounter them if you leave an outside light on after dark.
Florida is home to a high number of moths that you may encounter at home or when out at night. If you want to identify a moth in Florida, continue reading below to find out more.
The moths you may encounter in Florida include:
Table of Contents
1. Fir Tussock Moth
The Fir Tussock Moth (Orgyia detrita) is known for their beautiful larvae. In Florida, these larvae can be numerous and problematic, leaving their host plant to search for a site to spin their cocoon. This is the most common Tussock moth in Florida.
The larvae are approximately one inch in length with black hairs covering the body. As adults, the males are dull with a wing span of approximately 3.5 centimeters. Their documented hosts include bald cypress and oaks. They have also been reported to host hackberry, willow, maple, and birch trees.
2. Io Moth
This (Automeris io) is a beautiful moth with predominant hindwing eyespots. The caterpillar is well-known due to its painful sting. As adults, the eyespots sit in the center of the hind wing.
Adults can grow to eighty millimeters in wingspan. Females are larger than males. You can tell the males from the females by their antennae. Males have quadri-pectinate antennae, whereas females have bipectinate antennae, that appear thread-like. The males’ forewings are yellow to orange-brown.
3. Polyphemus Moth
The Polyphemus Moth (Antheraea polyphemus) is a giant silk moth. It is tan with a fifteen-centimeter wingspan. They have purple eyespots on the hind wings, helping you identify them easily. As caterpillars, they can eat eighty-six thousand times their weight in less than two months.
You can differentiate the males from the females by their antennae. The males have bushy antennae, whereas the females’ antennae are less bushy. The males use their antennae to detect the pheromones released by females. Females are also larger than males.
Their colors can vary from dark brown to red-cinnamon.
4. Polka-Dot Wasp Moth
This moth (Syntomeida epilais) is native to the Caribbean with the larvae feeding on the oleander plant. These moths are not nocturnal and fly during the day. They are common throughout Florida.
This moth is a dark metallic blue with white polka dots on the upper abdomen and wings. The tip of the abdomen is red. It mimics a dangerous wasp, though it is completely harmless. As caterpillars, they vary from dark orange to light orange with black hairs. This makes them look dangerous, but they are also harmless.
The caterpillars are gluttonous and will feed on any location where the oleander plant can be found. They can cause severe damage to oleander and potato plants.
5. Tersa Sphinx
Teresa Sphinx (Xylophanes tersa) was first described in 1771 and is common in southern Florida. Their wingspan can reach up to eight centimeters. The forewing is pale brown with gray at the base with dark brown lines. The hindwing is dark brown with white bands and wedge-shaped markings.
Adults are common from February to November. As adults, they feed on flower nectar. The larvae feed on numerous plant species. You will see the adults taking flight from sunset. Adults can have several broods in Florida.
6. Ornate Bella Moth
This beautiful moth flies (Utetheisa ornatrix) during the day and is often seen throughout southern Florida. This small moth has a wingspan of up to 4.5 centimeters. They have yellow forewings with white banding and black dots. The pink hindwings have irregular black banding on the margins.
7. Southern Pink-striped Oakworm Moth
The Southern Pink-striped Oakworm Moth (Anisota pellucida) can be found in deciduous woodlands and suburbs throughout Florida. The females’ wings are purple-red with yellow markings, whereas the males’ are purple-brown with a large transparent section in the center.
Females are larger than males growing to a wingspan of 6.6 centimeters. This moth is a day flier. Females lay eggs in groups on the underside of oak leaves. The caterpillars feed in groups.
This moth has several broods each year in Florida. The adults do not feed, whereas the caterpillars feed on various oak trees.
8. Orange-spotted Flower Moth
The Orange-spotted Flower Moth (Syngamia florella) is also known as the red-waisted Florella moth. It was first described in 1781 and is common in Florida. This small moth has a wingspan of around fifteen millimeters.
You will see this moth from September to December. As adults, they are dark brown with yellow patches on the forewings and hindwings. There is a dark stripe down the center of the yellow thorax and head. They have a red abdomen with two blue bands that are across the rear.
They are fast fliers, flying only short distances when disturbed. You will find this moth in brushy and weedy areas in Florida, where the adults feed on flowers.
9. Giant Leopard Moth
The Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia) belongs to the Erebidae family and is distributed throughout Florida. Their wingspan is approximately seven centimeters. The wings are white with black patches.
The abdomen is dark blue with orange markings. They have a white underside with solid black spots. Males have a yellow line on either side of their bodies. The legs are black with white banding. These moths only fly at night.
Females are larger than males. Caterpillars are known as woolly bears with thick black hairs. The caterpillars have orange or red banding between the segments. Caterpillars host on bananas, cherries, maples, sunflowers, willows, violets, and cabbage.
10. North American Luna Moth
The North American Luna Moth (Actias luna) is a giant silk moth. It is lime green with a white body. The caterpillars are green. This moth has a wingspan of more than eleven centimeters with some individuals reaching eighteen centimeters.
The larvae click as warming regurgitating internal content, which is highly effective on predators. Females lay eggs in small groups under leaves. Males and females are similar in appearance and size. They have green wings with eyespots on the forewings and hindwings.
Females have larger abdomens than males. Males have longer and wider antennae than females.
11. Salt Marsh Moth
The Salt Marsh Moth (Estimating acres) was first described in 1773 and is commonly seen in southern Florida. This moth has a white thorax and heads with a yellow-orange abdomen with black spots. The forewing is white with black spots.
Males have a yellow-orange hindwing, whereas females have a white hindwing. Both sexes have up to four black spots on the hindwing. Their wingspan can be up to 6.8 centimeters.
You can encounter this moth throughout the year in southern Florida. As caterpillars, they are considered a pest to cabbage, corn, peas, tobacco, potato, cotton, and apple.
12. Imperial Moth
The Imperial Moth (Eccles imperials) has evolved and looks similar to rotting leaves. They are almost identical to the poplar tree leaf. They have a wingspan of up to 17.5 centimeters with a high amount of variation.
As adults, they are primarily yellow with purple, red, and brown patches. There are dark and light morphs found in some regions. The larvae are small, growing to 1.5 centimeters. in length. The caterpillars are orange with black bands and large spines.
The adults emerge once a year. The males emerge a few days before the females. As adults, they do not feed.
13. Echo Moth
The Echo Moth (Sectarian echo) was first described in 1797 and is a common sight in scrub woods, open areas, and thickets in Florida. Their wingspan is approximately forty-five millimeters. The larvae feed on woody plants, including oak, lupine, cabbage, and coontie.
The larvae are orange with yellow or black banding and white spiracles. The caterpillars are very common at Stetson University’s DeLand Campus in late spring, summer, and fall.
14. Southern Flannel Moth
The Southern Flannel Moth’s caterpillar (Megalopyge opercularis) is known as the fire caterpillar, woolly slug, or puss caterpillar. The caterpillars are coated in hair and resemble a Persian cat. They vary in color from orange to gray.
As adults, they are furry and covered in dull orange to yellow hairs. Their legs and feet are black and hairy. This moth can be found in elm, wild plum, and oak trees. It can also be seen visiting ivy and roses in private gardens.
15. Spotted Oleander Moth
The Spotted Oleander Moth (Empyreuma pugione) is native to the West Indies and has been introduced to Florida in the United States. It has a 4.8-centimeter wingspan with chocolate brown forewings and a deep brown border fringe. The area between the veins is red.
The hindwings are red with a brown fringe. These moths fly during the day and are not nocturnal. The antennae are black with metallic blue highlights and orange tips. The body is dark brown with blue highlights with white dots down the thorax and on the sides.
The caterpillars are orange and hairy, hosting only on oleander plants. They do not cause damage to ornamental plantings in Florida.
16. Mournful Sphinx
The Mournful Sphinx (Enyo lugubris) has a six-centimeter wingspan. The wings and body are dark brown. There is a large black patch on the forewing and a pale tan cell spot with a straight line in the center.
The adult moth can be seen flying throughout the year. The adults make a whirring sound when they fly. The caterpillars feed on plants belonging to the grape family, whereas adults feed on flower nectar.
17. Southern Tussock Moth
The Southern Tussock Moth (Dasychira meridionalis) was first described in 1913 and is a common sight at night in Florida. They are earthy brown with purple and green tones. The pattern has a middle band of color on the wings with lighter patches near the wing margins.
Caterpillars are easy to identify. They are black and white. These hairy white caterpillars have long black antennae and a large black spot on the back. A smaller black spot is located close to the rear of the caterpillar.
18. Banded Sphinx
The Banded Sphinx (Eumorpha fasciatus) flies throughout the year in Florida. These moths are dark purple-brown with a light brown band on the forewing with pink-white banding and streaks. There is a pink patch on the hindwing with pink on the outer margins.
Adults emerge as the sun sets to feed. As caterpillars, they pupate in chambers within the soil. The caterpillars feed on evening primrose and willow. Adults feed on flower nectar. They are commonly seen in tropical, subtropical, and lowlands.
19. Stained-glass Moth
Stained-glass Moths (Samea castellalis) are distributed throughout Florida, seen flying in weedy areas and private gardens. The males have a pointed forewing when compared to females. The wing pattern is complex, comprising of translucent wings and opaque brown.
The forewing windows comprise three bands with a square wing. The translucent section of the hind wing is larger with brown lines that are sharply defined. The translucent windows are more prominent in males with many females having reduced windows.
The larvae spin webs among leaves. It takes approximately one month from hatching to pupation. Adults feed on flower nectar at night. They also gain nutrients from drinking livestock tears.
20. Abbot’s Bagworm Moth
The Abbot’s Bagworm Moth (Oiketicus abbotii) grows to 3.3 centimeters in wingspan. Only the males can fly, females are wingless. They are common in Florida.
The caterpillars feed on numerous hosts from a variety of plant families. They were first described in 1885 and the adult males can be seen as they fly at night searching for food and a mate.
21. Forest Tent Caterpillar Moth
The Forest Tent Caterpillar Moth (Malacosoma disstria). Unlike other tend caterpillar species, the forest tent caterpillar does not make tents. They create a sheet that they lie in when molting. They travel in groups along silk threads that hang from the silk sheet.
As adults, they favor sweetgum, aspen, sugar maple, and oak for egg laying, that takes place during the summer months. Females can lay up to three-hundred eggs on twigs. The eggs are covered in glue cement. Eggs hatch in the spring.
Larvae feed on numerous tree and shrub species. The majority of host plants can replace their leaves without permanent damage. The mature larvae can grow to six centimeters in length. They are black to dark brown with blue and yellow stripes.
Adult moths are tan or yellow with furry bodies. The wingspan is around three centimeters. Females are larger than males.
22. Coffee-loving Pyrausta Moth
The Coffee-loving Pyrausta Moth (Pyrausta tyralis) was first described in 1854. This small moth has a 1.7-centimeter wingspan and flies throughout the year in Florida.
Gardeners in Florida will often see this moth as it is drawn to the glossy-leafed wild coffee shrub, the preferred larval host. This small moth is colorful and feeds on a range of nectar sources.
The females are very specific about where they lay their eggs. They prefer the wild coffee plant, which is only found on the Florida peninsula, even though the moth has been seen as far as Arizona.
23. Eastern Tent Caterpillar Moth
Eastern Tent Caterpillar Moths (Malacosoma americana) produce one generation each year. This is a social species, forms communal nests in tree branches. The caterpillars are blue, white, black, and orange with hair.
This is one of the most social larvae. The female lays her eggs in a single batch with an egg sac that contains up to three hundred eggs. The eggs hatch within three weeks into fully-formed caterpillars.
The newly-hatched caterpillars create a silk tent once they emerge. They expand the test daily to accommodate their size. The caterpillars feed three times each year when they come out from the tent and add silk to the growing structure. They move to distant feeding sites in groups, returning to the tent until the next feeding period.
Adult moths are nocturnal and you will see them as the sun sets. The caterpillars are toxic to horses. The adult moth is red-brown with two white stripes that run across the forewings. Their wingspan is around 2.5 centimeters. Females are larger than males.
24. Dusky Herpetogramma Moth
The Dusky Herpetogramma Moth (Herpetogramma phaeopteralis) has an eighteen-millimeter wingspan. The forewings are dark gray with black lines and two dark spots. The hindwings are similar but lighter in color.
Larvae feed on grasses and grow to twenty-five millimeters in length. The caterpillars are yellow-green or gray-green with brown heads.
25. Fall Webworm Moth
The Fall Webworm Moth (Hyphantria cunea) is well-known for its larval stage. The larvae create webbed nests on the limbs of trees in a host of hardwoods from late summer and fall. They are considered pests.
These moths have a three-centimeter wingspan. It is white, though there are individuals with dark markings. They are hairy. Their front legs have orange or bright yellow patches. There are brown hairs on the abdomen.
The caterpillars feed on deciduous trees. They can defoliate an entire tree. Their preferred host includes black walnut, pecan, American elm, fruit trees, and maple trees. They choose their host based on sun exposure, environmental stress, and nutrient quality.
26. Waterlily Leafcutter Moth
The Waterlily Leafcutter Moth (Elophila obliteralis) was first described in 1859 s native to North America, commonly seen in Florida. It has a two-centimeter wingspan with males being small than females. You will see them flying from May to August.
The caterpillars feed on several aquatic plants. The caterpillars are small, around nine millimeters in length. They are pale green with brown heads. The caterpillars feed on whitewater Lilly, water stargrass, duckweed, pondweed, and other aquatic plants.
The moths have gray-brown wings with dark brown shades and white lines. The females are lighter than the males.
27. Edwards’ Wasp Moth
Edwards’ Wasp Moth (Lymire edwardsii) is also known as the rubber tree caterpillar. It was first described in 1881 and is found in southern Florida. This moth can grow to a four-centimeter wing span. The winds are blue-gray. As adults, they fly throughout the year.
Caterpillars feed on leaf margins, creating holes in the leaves. They are yellow with four white stripes. Their heads are white and red-orange. Caterpillars are destructive to Ficus trees and are considered pests to homeowners, as they spin their cocoons on house walls.
As adults, they have a blue-gray thorax and white belly. The head and prothorax are yellow-orange.
28. Salvinia Stem Borer Moth
Salvinia Stem Borer Moths (Samea multiplicalis) are aquatic moths found in freshwater habitats in Florida. The females lay their eggs on water plants, including water fern and water lettuce. The caterpillars feed on the host plants, causing death. The caterpillars are an excellent biological control for weedy water plants and invasive water ferns.
Caterpillars are green to pale yellow. Adult moths are tan with dark patterns. From egg to death is around four weeks. You are likely to see this moth in bodies of fresh water, including slow-moving rivers, lakes, and ponds.
They prefer water lettuce over other aquatic plants. Females can lay up to one hunted and fifty eggs over several days on the host plant’s leaves. Adults have a two-centimeter wing span with dark markings on the forewings and hindwings.
29. Small Mocis Moth
The Small Mocis Moth (Mocis latipes) is also known as the striped grass looper. It is common in Florida. This moth has a four-centimeter wingspan. The forewings are yellow-brown with darker brown shades. Females tend to be more yellow to red than males.
The hindwings are yellow-brown with brown shading and two lines. They fly from June to October.
Caterpillars feed on grasses, including corn and rice. They are also known to feed on turnips and beans.
30. Streaked Sphinx
The Streaked Sphinx (Protambulyx strigilis) is often seen in Florida and was first described in 1771. it can be encountered in the tropical and subtropical lowlands in Florida. It is a large moth with a thirteen-millimeter wingspan. You will see it flying in March and then from June to July.
The forewings have an indented inner margin. The forewing is light yellow-gray or red-brown. There is a dark line and band along the indentation. Hindwings are light in golden-orange with dark banding. There are irregular lines on the underside of the hind wing.
Caterpillars feed on various species in the cashew family.
31. Carolina Sphinx
The Carolina Sphinx (Manduca sexta) was first described in 1763. it is also known as the tobacco hawk moth and the caterpillars, referred to as the Goliath worm or tobacco hornworm. They are often kept as pets by children.
The caterpillars have seven white diagonal lines with black borders and red horns. The adults have narrow wings and are small in size. They have a one-centimeter wing span. The moths feed on the nectar of flowers with an excellent ability to hover.
Males can be identified by their wide antennae. The moth’s abdomen has six yellow bands and the forewings have white, brown, and black markings. The hindwings have black and white bands with two black zig-zag lines. The forewing has spotted white wing fringes.
The caterpillars have large appetites for fruits and leaves, defoliating plants quickly. This moth has several broods throughout the year in Florida. Caterpillars feed on tobacco, potato, tomato, and other plants belonging to the nightshade family. As adults, they feed on flower nectar from petunia, moonflower, and Japanese honeysuckle.
32. Spanish Moth
The Spanish Moth (Xanthopastis regnatrix) has a black patch of scales on the forewing, surrounded by spots. They have hairy black bodies and black hindwings. Their wingspan can be up to 4.5 centimeters.
You will encounter this moth flying from November to May and then in September throughout Florida. The caterpillars feed on spider lilies, iceberg lettuce, and figs.
33. Watermilfoil Leafcutter Moth
The Watermilfoil Leafcutter Moth (Parapoynx allionealis) was first described in 1859. The adult moth is known to fly throughout the year in Florida.
Larvae feed on aquatic plants, living in a portable case that is made using aquatic plant material. The caterpillars feed on floating pondweed, white waterlily, broadleaf watermilfoil, floating bladderwort, and other aquatic plants.
The adult moths are white with tan or brown bands or markings on the wings. There are tan bands on the body. Females have longer wingspans with pointed forewings. The moth has a wingspan of seventeen millimeters and is often encountered at night. They are attracted to artificial lights.
34. Black Witch
The Black Witch Moth (Ascalapha odorata) is a large bat-shaped moth. It is nocturnal and emerges at sunset. It is often associated with misfortune or death. They have a wingspan of twenty-four millimeters in wingspan. Females have molted brown wings with iridescent pink and purple hints.
The females’ forewings have a pink comma spot. Males are smaller than females. They are dark. The caterpillars can grow to seven centimeters. They are black with green-brown stripes and spots, forming an intricate pattern. The caterpillars feed on catclaw and cassia, whereas adults feed on overripe fruit and tree sap.
35. Hawaiian Beet Webworm Moth
The Hawaiian Beet Webworm Moth (Spoladea recurvalis) has a wingspan of two centimeters and is seen from May to September. The caterpillars feed on cotton, maize, spinach, beet, and soybean.
The caterpillars feed on the underside of leaves, protected by a web. The caterpillars are green and can grow to nineteen millimeters in length. As adults, they feed on flower nectar and can fly long distances.
The adults have dark brown to gray forewings with a broad white median band that terminates in a fish-hook shape. There are three white spots on the fringe of both wings. This moth has two generations each year. They are commonly seen in fields, waste areas, and gardens.
36. Florida Tussock Moth
The Florida Tussock Moth (Halysidota cinctipes) was first described in 1865 and found throughout Florida. It has a four-centimeter wingspan.
The moth has an orange body and wings. The wings are orange-translucent. The forewings have numerous dark spots on the margins. As caterpillars, they are black and white. They are very hairy and have a blue tinge when exposed to light.
The caterpillars have urticating hairs that they use as a defense against predators, which can get into the skin if you handle them carelessly.
37. Velvetbean Caterpillar Moth
The Velvetbean Caterpillar Moth (Anticarsia gemmatalis) is a tropical species that migrates north each season. The moth has gray-brown wings that are crossed with black or brown zig-zag lines. Caterpillars are green or black with light stripes on the sides and black.
Caterpillars feed on peanuts, cotton, alfalfa, horse beans, snap beans, coffee weeds, and velvet beans. Adults can be variable in color and pattern with a three-centimeters wingspan.
The caterpillars are known for causing damage by consuming foliage. Newly hatched caterpillars can strip the leaves, starting with the lower epidermis. They feed until the third instar, leaving only the leaf veins. Eventually, they consume the entire leaf.
38. Brown-shaded Gray
This moth (Iridopsis defectaria) grows to three centimeters in wingspan and is commonly seen in Florida from February to November. As adults, they have rows of colors that range from gray to golden brown.
The hindwing has a white tear-drop-shaped spot. The same brown color sites by the head with a black line. Caterpillars feed on poplar, sweet cherry, willow, and oak. They are brown, long, and slender. Their bodies mimic a twig.
39. White-marked Tussock Moth
The White-marked Tussock Moth (Orgyia leucostigma) was described in 1797. The caterpillar is a common sight in Florida in late summer. Eggs are laid in a mass and covered in froth. Females can lay up to three hundred eggs at a time.
The caterpillars are brightly colored with tufts of hair. The head is bright red with a yellow body, complete with white stripes. There is a black stripe down the center of the back. The hairs can cause an allergic reaction in humans.
Young caterpillars feed on the leaf margins, older caterpillars feed on everything except large veins. The caterpillars can grow to 3.5 centimeters. in length.
The female moth has reduced wings and does not leave the cocoon. Males are gray with black wavy lines and a white spot on the forewings. Their wingspan is around 3.5 centimeters. They have feathery antennae and can be seen from June to October.
The caterpillars feed on several trees including apple, cheery, elm, hickory, oak, walnut, chestnut, and birch.
40. Southern Emerald
The Southern Emerald (Synchlora frondaria) belongs to one of the most populated moth families in North America and is very common in Florida. Adults are bright green with a feathery fringe on the hindwing. There is a white stripe down their backs, which is only visible when the wings are open.
The forewings have white curvy lines. Adults are seen in woodland forests and they are attracted to artificial lights at night.
The caterpillars are better known as inchworms. They only have front and back legs, pulling the legs close together to push them forward. If they feel threatened, they stiffen their bodies, stretching outward while clinging to a stem. This makes them look like a twig.
41. Garden Tortrix
This moth (Clepsis peritana) has a wingspan of fifteen millimeters. The forewings are brown. Males have a dark brown costal spot. Females have a less distinguished costal spot. They are seen from March to September and have numerous generations each year.
The caterpillars live in silk tubes on the leaf surface, feeding on dead or decaying leaf litter. They are known to feed on the fruits or buds of living plants. They can grow to fourteen millimeters and are light green with a yellow-brown head.
42. Ello Sphinx
This moth (Erinnyis ello) was first described in 1759 and can be parasitized by the braconid wasp. This moth grows to 8.5 centimeters. in wingspan with a gray abdomen, complete with black banding. The female has a pale gray forewing with dark spots near the outer margins.
The male’s forewing is dark gray and brown with a black band that runs from the tip to the base. The hindwings are orange with a wide black border. These moths are nocturnal, feeding in the dark.
The caterpillars spin cocoons on the soil surface, feeding on papaya and other plants in the spurge family. Adult moths feed on flower nectar.
43. Rosy Maple Moth
The Rosy Maple Moth (Dryocampa rubicunda) is small belonging to the silk moth family, first described in 1793. They are known for their woolly bodies and pink and yellow colors.
Their preferred host is maple trees. Females lay their eggs in groups of up to forty eggs under the maple leaves. The caterpillars feed on the leaves. In large numbers, the caterpillars can defoliate a tree. As adult moths, they do not feed.
It is the smallest of the silk moths with a four-centimeter wing span. They have a unique yellow and pink color with red to pink antennae and legs. The bodies and hindwings are yellow. The forewings are pink with a yellow band that runs through the center.
They are commonly seen in deciduous forests, often close to urban and suburban areas.
44. Scarlet-bodied Wasp Moth
The Scarlet-bodied Wasp Moth (Cosmosoma myrodora) is common in Florida where it prefers coastal plains. It has a 3.5 centimeter wingspan. The moth has a bright red body with transparent wings. There is a blue line on the abdomen, broadening at the tip.
The wing veins are black. The moths can be seen flying from March to December. They have a sixty-day lifecycle. Larvae and pupae have a development time of up to eleven days.
The caterpillars feed on Florida Keys hempvine and climbing hempvine.
45. Virginia Creeper Sphinx
The Virginia Creeper Sphinx (Darapsa myron) has a dark brown to pale yellow-gray forewing with a dark rectangle on the costal margin. Hindwings are light orange. Their wingspan can be up to 6.5 centimeters.
Females lay their eggs in groups of three under leaves. The eggs take less than a week to hatch. Caterpillars create a cocoon of silk on the ground among leaf litter. This moth has several broods in Florida.
Caterpillars feed on grape and Virginia creepers, while adults feed on flower nectar. You will encounter this moth in woodland and brushy areas.
46. Woolly Gray Moth
The Woolly Gray Moth (Lycia ypsilon) has a wingspan of two inches. The males’ forewing is gray-white or pale gray with black lines. The hindwing is gray with dark scales. They have hairy bodies with white bands over the thorax.
Females are wingless. The caterpillars are variable with a red or gray form. They have black, red, white, or yellow patches. The head has black spots.
47. Black-dotted Spragueia Moth
The Black-dotted Spragueia Moth (Spragueia onagrus) is a bird-dropping moth with a seventeen-millimeter wingspan. This small moth has black and yellow bars on the wings, creating an ovate pattern.
They are commonly seen along coastlines and are widespread in Florida. They fly from March to November.
48. Vetch Looper Moth
The Vetch Looper Moth (Caenurgia chloropha) has a thirty-six-millimeter wingspan. The forewings are brown to pale gray in males and yellow-brown to orange in females. The yellow hindwings have two gray bands. They fly from April to October.
The caterpillars feed on legumes, including vetch.
49. Dot-lined White
The Dot-lined White Moth (Artace cribrarius) was first described in 1825. They can be easily recognized for their white wings and body with black dots on the forewings. They have a 6.2 centimeter wingspan.
You will see this moth flying from June to October. The caterpillars feed on oak and cherry tree leaves, along with roses. There is a healthy food supply. This is a nocturnal moth that is attracted to artificial light at night.
50. Live Oak Metria Moth
This moth (Metria amella) is a medium-sized moth that has a four-centimeter wingspan. They are variable in pattern and color with mottled spaces being brown, tan, white, and black. The front wing has a dark brown base.
They have gray hindwings with ripple-like markings. The yellow caterpillars have a black-marbled pattern.
51. Withered Mocis
This moth (Mocis marcida) has a 4.7 centimeter wingspan. Adults fly throughout the year in southern Florida and from April to November in the rest of their range. The caterpillars feed on a variety of grasses.
The forewing is purple-grown with dark shading and fine lines. The hindwing is yellow-brown or orange-brown with gray shading. The caterpillars have black spots on their abdomens. Their heads are light brown with fine stripes.
This moth is commonly encountered in grasslands, open grass areas, and marches where the larvae feed on a variety of grasses.