Bug FAQFormosa Looper Moth
Chrysanympha formosa · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Formosa Looper
The Formosa looper moth has a wingspan of about 30 to 35 mm. One generation emerges each year, with adults on the wing from June to August depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The Formosa looper is a moth in the Noctuidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan measures roughly 30 to 35 millimetres.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on dwarf huckleberry (Gaylussacia dumosa) and various Vaccinium species.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There is a single generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults fly in July-August in Alberta and from June-August in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes eastern Canada and the eastern United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 23 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maine, Alabama, Connecticut, New York, New Hampshire.
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
When are adult Formosa loopers active?
Adults are on the wing from June to August, varying by region.
Source: Wikipedia
What do Formosa looper caterpillars eat?
They feed on dwarf huckleberry and Vaccinium plants.
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/Chrysanympha_formosa
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.