Bug FAQBrown-spotted Zale Moth
Zale helata · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Brown-spotted Zale
The brown-spotted zale is a noctuid moth with a wingspan of about 35 to 41 mm. It lives in barrens and pine woodlands across central and eastern North America, from Manitoba to Maine and south to northern Alabama and Texas. Adults appear in late spring, flying from May through June, and the species produces one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Zale helata, known as the brown-spotted zale, belongs to the moth family Noctuidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 35 to 41 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The species has one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from May to June.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes areas from Manitoba to Maine and south to northern Alabama and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 31 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, New Jersey, Michigan, Maine, North Carolina, New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania.
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
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 acreaDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zale_helata
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.