Bug FAQEarly Fan-foot
Zanclognatha cruralis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Early Zanclognatha
The early zanclognatha is a litter moth in the family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Zanclognatha cruralis, the early zanclognatha, belongs to the litter moth group of the family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The moth’s wingspan is about 28 to 30 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs from Wisconsin eastward through southern Canada and southward to Florida and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
In the southern part of its range there are two generations each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active from April through July.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range covers Wisconsin, the eastern United States, southern Canada, Florida and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 34 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Connecticut, Virginia, Vermont, Alabama, North 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
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/Zanclognatha_cruralis
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.