Bug FAQBeggar Moth
Eubaphe mendica · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Geometridae
Also called: The Beggar
Source: Wikipedia
The beggar moth has a wingspan of about 21 to 30 mm. It produces three generations each year and adults are seen from May through September.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Eubaphe mendica, called the beggar moth, belongs to the Geometridae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 21 to 30 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives in eastern North America.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on species of maple (Acer) and violet (Viola).
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There are three generations per year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from May to September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range is eastern North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 39 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, Alabama, Tennessee, Michigan.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How many generations does the beggar moth have each year?
It produces three generations annually.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants do beggar moth larvae eat?
The larvae feed on maple (Acer) and violet (Viola) species.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Geometridae)
Willow BeautyPeribatodes rhomboidaria
Pale BeautyCampaea perlataDamages trees, gardens or crops
Large Lace-border MothScopula limboundataDamages trees, gardens or crops
Riband WaveIdaea aversata
Yellow Shell MothCamptogramma bilineata
Large Maple Spanworm MothProchoerodes lineolaDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eubaphe_mendica
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.