Bug FAQCanadian Melanolophia Moth
Melanolophia canadaria · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Geometridae
Also called: Canadian Melanolophia
Source: Wikipedia
The adult moth has a wingspan of about 30 to 36 mm. Its wings are dark brown with a distinctive V-shaped dark patch across the hindwings that is visible when it rests with its wings open. It lives in wooded and shrubland areas across much of North America, from the Gulf Coast to Canada and west to the plains.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Adults show dark brown or mottled wings, all four wings are visible and held open at rest. A line across both hindwings creates a V-shaped dark patch that helps identify the species.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 30 to 36 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are most often seen in forests and shrublands.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars eat the leaves of birch, elm, maple, oak, pine and plum trees.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The species produces two generations each year, with adults flying from March to September and larvae overwintering.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from early spring through early fall, covering two broods per year.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It occurs throughout North America, from Florida up to Nova Scotia and west to Saskatchewan, reaching south into Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 38 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, Alabama, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, South Carolina.
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
What do the larvae eat?
They feed on the foliage of birch, elm, maple, oak, pine and plum species.
Source: Wikipedia
When can I see adult Canadian melanolophia moths?
Adults are active from March through September, with two generations each year.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is this moth found?
It is native to North America, ranging from the southeastern United States up into eastern Canada and west to the central plains.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I recognize this moth?
Look for a 30 to 36 mm wingspan, dark brown mottled wings, and a V-shaped dark patch across the hindwings when the moth rests with its wings open.
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/Melanolophia_canadaria
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.