Bug FAQBlack-banded Owlet
Phalaenostola larentioides · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Black-banded Owlet Moth
The black-banded owlet is a small moth with a wingspan of about 1.7 to 2.4 cm. It lives across much of eastern North America, from Canadian provinces such as New Brunswick to U.S. states ranging from Wisconsin and Maine down to Florida and Texas. Its caterpillars feed on dead grass, leaf litter and the leaves of living clover.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The black-banded owlet, scientific name Phalaenostola larentioides, belongs to the moth family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults have a wingspan ranging from 17 to 24 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae eat dead grass, leaf litter and the leaves of living clover.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from May through September and there are usually two or more generations each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults can be seen flying between May and September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range covers much of eastern Canada and the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 37 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, New York, Vermont.
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
When are adult black-banded owlets active?
Adults are active from May through September.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Erebidae)
Spongy MothLymantria disparDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Webworm MothHyphantria cuneaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Brown-tail MothEuproctis chrysorrhoeaCan irritate skin
Isabella Tiger MothPyrrharctia isabella
Virginian Tiger MothSpilosoma virginicaCan irritate skin
Salt Marsh MothEstigmene acreaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phalaenostola_larentioides
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.