Bug FAQLittle Carpenterworm Moth
Prionoxystus macmurtrei · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Cossidae
Also called: little carpenterworm
Source: Wikipedia
The little carpenterworm moth has a wingspan of about 45 to 75 mm. Adults are on the wing from April through July. Larvae feed on ash, maple and oak, and their tunnels reduce the value of hardwood lumber.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Prionoxystus macmurtrei belongs to the moth family Cossidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 45 to 75 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
The tunnels made by larvae lower the value of hardwood lumber, making it a pest for timber.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae eat the wood of ash, maple and oak trees.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are active from April to July.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The moth flies during the spring and early summer months.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes parts of eastern Canada and the United States such as Ontario, Quebec, Florida, Texas and Minnesota.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 33 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey, Alabama, Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What damage does the little carpenterworm moth cause?
Its larvae tunnel into hardwood, reducing the lumber’s value.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Cossidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prionoxystus_macmurtrei
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.