Bug FAQHologram Moth
Diachrysia balluca · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Green-patched Looper Moth, Green-patched Looper
Source: Wikipedia
Diachrysia balluca is a large grey-brown moth with metallic green patches on its forewings and plain grey hindwings. It lives in mature poplar and mixed-wood forests of northeastern North America and is seen as an adult from May through September, especially in July.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The forewings have metallic green patches covering the outer two-thirds, while the hindwings are unmarked and grey.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Forewing length measures between 20 and 25 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It inhabits mature poplar and mixed-wood forests in the northeastern part of North America.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on woody plants such as common hop, quaking aspen, Canadian woodnettle and Rubus species. Adults visit flowers of the Asteraceae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Like other Noctuidae, it undergoes four stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. There is one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are recorded from May through September, with most sightings in July.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range extends from Nova Scotia west to Manitoba and south to North Carolina in northeastern North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It can be confused with Diachrysia stenochrysis and Diachrysia chrysitis, which have almost identical genetics and look very similar.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 22 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Vermont, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania.
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 does this moth look like?
It has a 20-25 mm forewing, grey-brown color, metallic green patches on the outer two-thirds of the forewings, and plain grey hindwings.
Source: Wikipedia
Do they damage plants?
The larvae can damage crops, vegetables and ornamental plants.
Source: Wikipedia
What other moths might I mistake them for?
They are similar to Diachrysia stenochrysis and Diachrysia chrysitis, which are hard to tell apart by appearance.
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/Diachrysia_balluca
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.