Bug FAQEastern Panthea Moth
Panthea furcilla · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Eastern Panthea
Source: Wikipedia
Adults have a wingspan of about 3.3 to 5 cm. They live in boreal forests of Canada and the eastern United States, from Maine down to Florida and west to Texas and the Rockies. In Canada they fly once a year from June to August; farther south they may have two or more generations.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 33 mm to 50 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Found in boreal forest regions of Canada and the eastern U.S., extending west to the Rockies.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on the needles of eastern larch, pine, and spruce trees.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from June to August; one brood in Canada, multiple generations in the southern U.S.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Flight period is June-August, single brood in Canada, two or more generations farther south.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 36 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, Vermont, Michigan, Maine, New York, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania.
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
Do Eastern Panthea moths damage trees?
Yes, the caterpillars eat the foliage of conifer trees such as larch, pine, and spruce, which can harm those trees.
Source: Wikipedia
When can I see these moths?
Adults fly from June through August; in Canada you’ll see one generation, while in the southern U.S. there may be two or more.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Noctuidae)
Ipsilon Dart MothAgrotis ipsilonDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Armyworm MothSpodoptera frugiperdaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Army Cutworm MothEuxoa auxiliarisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Large Yellow UnderwingNoctua pronubaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Silver ΥAutographa gamma
American DaggerAcronicta americanaCan irritate skinSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panthea_furcilla
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.