Bug FAQBlack-patched Clepsis Moth
Clepsis melaleucanus · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Tortricidae
Also called: American Apple Tortrix
The black-patched Clepsis moth has a wingspan of about 18 to 25 mm. It lives across North America from Alberta to Newfoundland and south to North Carolina and Missouri, and adults fly from May through July.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Additional brown blotches and shading may appear between that blotch and the thorax, varying among individuals.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 18 to 25 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from May to July.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Native to North America, spanning from Alberta to Newfoundland and down to North Carolina and Missouri.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 26 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Vermont, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Michigan, New York, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Ohio.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are adult black-patched Clepsis moths active?
Adults fly from May through July.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Tortricidae)
Oblique-banded Leafroller MothChoristoneura rosaceanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Garden TortrixClepsis peritanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Common MarbleSyricoris lacunanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Red-banded Leafroller MothArgyrotaenia velutinanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Light Brown Apple MothEpiphyas postvittanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Aster and Reddish Eucosma Moths and AlliesEucosma parmatanaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clepsis_melaleucana
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.