Bug FAQBrown Angle Shades
Phlogophora periculosa · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Brown Angle Shades Moth
The brown angle shades moth has a wingspan of about 4 to 5 centimeters. Adults are active from late July through October. It lives across the northern United States and southern Canada, reaching south to Georgia, Mississippi, and California, but not Florida or the south-central states.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Phlogophora periculosa, called the brown angle shades, belongs to the Noctuidae family of moths.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 42 to 50 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found coast-to-coast in the northern U.S. and southern Canada, extending south to Georgia, Mississippi, and California, but absent from Florida and the south-central states.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars eat leaves of various woody plants such as alder, balsam fir, cranberry, and plum.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from late July to October.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period spans late summer through early fall.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range covers the northern United States and southern Canada, with southern extensions as noted above.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 33 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, Michigan, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New York, Maine, North Carolina.
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 can I expect to see brown angle shades moths?
Adults are active from late July through October.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the larvae of brown angle shades eat?
They feed on the leaves of woody plants like alder, balsam fir, cranberry, and plum.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the brown angle shades moth found in North America?
It occurs across the northern United States and southern Canada, reaching south to Georgia, Mississippi, and California, but not in Florida or the south-central states.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Noctuidae)
Ipsilon Dart MothAgrotis ipsilonDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Armyworm MothSpodoptera frugiperdaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Army Cutworm MothEuxoa auxiliarisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Large Yellow UnderwingNoctua pronubaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Silver ΥAutographa gamma
American DaggerAcronicta americanaCan irritate skinSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phlogophora_periculosa
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.