Bug FAQElegant Sheep Moth
Hemileuca eglanterina · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Saturniidae
Also called: sheep moth, Western Sheepmoth
The sheep moth has a wingspan of about 5.5 to 8.5 cm and a relatively slender body. It lives west of the Sierra Nevada and in Southern California mountains, flies by day in summer, and its caterpillars eat Ceanothus, Rhamnus (including coffeeberry) and Rosa.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 5.5 to 8.5 cm and the body is relatively slender.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
In California it occurs west of the Sierran crest and in the mountains of Southern California, close to the coast. The moth is active during the day and appears in summer.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on plants of the genera Ceanothus, Rhamnus (including coffeeberry) and Rosa.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are day-flying and are seen in summer.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to western North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 13 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, Idaho, Utah.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do the caterpillars look like?
The larvae are black with yellowish branched spines that become orange as they grow, and they have an orange-brown head.
Source: Wikipedia
Which plants do the larvae eat?
They feed on Ceanothus, Rhamnus (including coffeeberry) and Rosa species.
Source: Wikipedia
Are there similar moths I might confuse with this species?
Yes, it looks like Nuttall's sheep moth and another species that lives in sagebrush east of the Sierra Nevada.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Saturniidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheep_moth
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.