Bug FAQKent's Geometer Moth
Selenia kentaria · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Geometridae
Also called: Kent's Geometer
Kent's Geometer Moth has a wingspan of about 3 to 5 cm and is found across eastern and central North America. The adults look like wilted leaves while the caterpillars resemble twigs, and the larvae feed on hardwood trees such as birch and cherry. Adults are active from early spring through late summer.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Adults mimic wilted leaves, and the larvae look like twigs.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 32 to 52 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives in eastern and central parts of North America.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on several hardwood trees, including birch and cherry.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from March to August.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period extends from early spring through late summer.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range is eastern and central North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
The moth’s leaf-like appearance can be confused with dead foliage, while its caterpillars may be mistaken for small twigs.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 30 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Vermont, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Massachusetts, Virginia.
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
How can I tell Kent's Geometer Moth apart from other insects?
The adult moth looks like a wilted leaf, and its caterpillars resemble twigs, which is distinctive for this species.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Geometridae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenia_kentaria
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.