Bug FAQDeadwood Borer Moth
Scolecocampa liburna · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Dead-wood Borer Moth
Source: Wikipedia
Adults have a wingspan of about 35 to 43 mm. They occur from southern Wisconsin and Michigan east to New England and south to Florida and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 35 to 43 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Found in the United States from southern Wisconsin and Michigan east to central New England and south to Florida and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
They have also been recorded in dead tulip trees.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There is typically one generation in the north and more generations farther south.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Native to the same U.S. region as its habitat.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 35 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Alabama, Ohio, Florida, Tennessee, Texas.
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
Where is this moth found in the United States?
It occurs from southern Wisconsin and Michigan east to New England and south to Florida and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the larvae feed on?
They tunnel in dead wood of chestnut, hickory, oak, sycamore, tulip and other trees.
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 acreaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scolecocampa_liburna
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.