Bug FAQFalse Hemlock Looper Moth
Nepytia canosaria · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Geometridae
Also called: false hemlock looper
Source: Wikipedia
The adult moth has a wingspan of about 30 mm. It is found across Canada from British Columbia to the Atlantic provinces and south into New England. The caterpillars eat balsam fir, eastern hemlock, spruces and sometimes other conifers.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan is roughly 30 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from August to September, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range covers southwestern British Columbia to the Atlantic provinces of Canada and reaches into New England in the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 30 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, Vermont, New York, New Hampshire, Maine, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Minnesota.
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
What trees do the larvae eat?
The caterpillars feed on balsam fir, eastern hemlock, spruces and sometimes other conifers.
Source: Wikipedia
When are the moths active?
Adults fly from August through September, varying by region.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is this moth found?
It occurs from southwestern British Columbia across to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, and south into New England.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Geometridae)
Willow BeautyPeribatodes rhomboidaria
Pale BeautyCampaea perlataDamages trees, gardens or crops
Large Lace-border MothScopula limboundataDamages trees, gardens or crops
Riband WaveIdaea aversata
Yellow Shell MothCamptogramma bilineata
Large Maple Spanworm MothProchoerodes lineolaDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepytia_canosaria
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.