Bug FAQHemlock Angle
Macaria fissinotata · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Geometridae
Also called: Hemlock Angle Moth
The hemlock angle is a small moth with a wingspan of about 22 to 25 mm. Its name refers to a split spot on the forewing.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The species name fissinotata comes from Latin words meaning “cleaved” and “marked”, likely describing the forewing’s large spot that often appears split.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults have a wingspan ranging from 22 to 25 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It belongs to the moth family Geometridae.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on hemlock (Tsuga), spruce (Picea) and balsam fir (Abies balsamea) species.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from May through September, with a shorter flight period of May to July in Quebec.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The moth is active during the months of May to September, and May to July in Quebec.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is found across North America, from Nova Scotia down to Georgia, west to Kentucky and north into Ontario.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 22 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, Connecticut, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Tennessee, 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 can I see the hemlock angle?
Adults fly from May to September, but in Quebec they are seen from May to July.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the larvae eat?
The caterpillars feed on hemlock, spruce and balsam fir trees.
Source: Wikipedia
Why is it called fissinotata?
The name combines Latin words for “cleaved” and “marked”, referring to a split spot on the forewing.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Geometridae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaria_fissinotata
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.