Bug FAQFrosted Tan Wave
Scopula cacuminaria · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Geometridae
Also called: Frosted Tan Wave Moth
The frosted tan wave is a moth in the family Geometridae (Scopula cacuminaria). Its wingspan measures about 18 to 23 mm (0.71 to 0.91 in). Adults are on the wing in July in Alberta.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Scopula cacuminaria, called the frosted tan wave, belongs to the Geometridae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The moth’s wingspan ranges from 18 to 23 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults fly in July in Alberta.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 25 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina.
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
Same family (Geometridae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scopula_cacuminaria
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-27 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-27.