Bug FAQFlorida Tetanolita Moth
Tetanolita floridana · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Florida Tetanolita
The Florida tetanolita moth, also called the Florida owlet, is a small litter moth in the family Erebidae. Its wingspan measures about 20 to 24 mm and it lives across the United States from Wisconsin and Long Island down to Florida and Texas. Adults fly from April to October in most of its range, all year in the far south, and larvae probably eat fallen organic matter.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Tetanolita floridana is known as the Florida owlet or Florida tetanolita moth and belongs to the litter moth group of the Erebidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The moth’s wingspan ranges from 20 to 24 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae probably feed on fallen organic matter.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
In the eastern part of its range, the species can produce two or more generations each year.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range is within the United States, covering states from Wisconsin and New York down to Florida and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 32 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Pennsylvania, Texas, Alabama, Ohio, Maryland, New Jersey, Florida, New York.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do Florida tetanolita moth larvae eat?
The larvae probably feed on fallen organic matter.
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/Tetanolita_floridana
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.