Bug FAQDark Fan-foot
Zanclognatha obscuripennis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Dark Fanfoot, Dark Zanclognatha, Dark Zanclognatha Moth
It lives across North America, from Missouri to Quebec and south to Florida and Texas. Its caterpillars feed on dead leaves and other detritus, and adults are on the wing from April to June, usually producing two generations.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The dark zanclognatha belongs to the litter moth family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from about 22 to 32 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives across North America, from Missouri up to Quebec and down to Florida and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae eat dead leaf material and other detritus.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults fly from April through June and usually produce two generations, with continuous broods in Florida.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
You’ll see the moths on the wing in spring, especially April to June.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range covers the central and eastern United States and parts of Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 29 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Maryland, Alabama, South Carolina, Mississippi, Ohio, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia.
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
How many generations do they have?
There are typically two generations, with continuous broods in Florida.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find this moth?
It is found from Missouri to Quebec and south to Florida and Texas in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
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/Zanclognatha_obscuripennis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.