Canadian Owlet

Calyptra canadensis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae

Also called: Canadian Owlet Moth

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.

The Canadian owlet moth (Calyptra canadensis) belongs to the family Erebidae and has a wingspan of about 33 to 40 mm. It is native to North America, found from Nova Scotia to North Carolina, west to Texas, north to Saskatchewan, with occasional records in Alberta and Ontario. Adults feed on fruit and are active from June to September, while the larvae feed on Thalictrum species.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

Calyptra canadensis, called the Canadian owlet moth, belongs to the family Erebidae.

Source: Wikipedia

Size

Its wingspan measures about 33 to 40 millimetres.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it lives

It lives in mountainous areas from Nova Scotia down to North Carolina and west to Texas, also reaching Saskatchewan and occasionally Alberta. It has also been observed in Ontario.

Source: Wikipedia

What it eats

Adult moths feed on fruit. The caterpillars feed on plants of the genus Thalictrum.

Source: Wikipedia

Life cycle

Adults are on the wing from June through September, depending on location.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it comes from

It is native to North America, ranging from Nova Scotia to North Carolina, west to Texas, and north to Saskatchewan, with occasional records in Alberta. Ontario records are also part of its range.

Source: Wikipedia

Lookalikes

It is the only Calyptra species that occurs in North America, so it has no close look-alikes there.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it is found in the US

Recorded in 29 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Vermont, Minnesota.

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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

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Source: GBIF

More photos

Canadian Owlet photo 2 — Photo: iNaturalist user, CC0

Canadian Owlet photo 3 — Photo: Healthy Yards, CC BY

Canadian Owlet photo 4 — Photo: Christopher Zacharias, CC BY

Canadian Owlet photo 5 — Photo: iNaturalist user, CC0

Questions people ask

When are Canadian owlet moths active?

Adults are on the wing from June to September, depending on where they live.

Source: Wikipedia

What do the caterpillars eat?

The larvae feed on Thalictrum species.

Source: Wikipedia

Where can I find this moth?

It is found in mountainous regions from Nova Scotia to North Carolina, west to Texas, and north to Saskatchewan, with occasional records in Alberta and Ontario.

Source: Wikipedia

Is there any other moth that looks like the Canadian owlet?

No, it is the only Calyptra species that lives in North America.

Source: Wikipedia