Bug FAQMaple Looper Moth
Parallelia bistriaris · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Maple Looper
Source: Wikipedia
Adult maple looper moths have a dark brown body with two lighter parallel lines and a grey edge on the forewing that looks like a dead leaf. They are 33 to 43 mm across, fly from April to September, and have one generation each year. They live in eastern North America and their larvae eat the leaves of birch, maple and walnut trees.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Adults are dark brown with two lighter parallel lines along the body and a grey border on the forewing that mimics fallen leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from about 33 to 43 mm (1.3 to 1.7 in).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are found in eastern North America.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on the leaves of various trees, especially birch, maple and walnut.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are active from April through September and there is one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from April to September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Their native range is eastern North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Both larvae and adults use camouflage, looking like twigs or dead leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 36 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Alabama, New York.
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
Are they a problem for gardens or trees?
The caterpillars feed on birch, maple and walnut trees, which can cause damage to those trees.
Source: Wikipedia
When can I see adult maple looper moths?
Adults are active from April through September.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I tell this moth apart from others?
Look for a dark brown body with two lighter parallel lines and a grey edge on the forewing that resembles a dead leaf.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Erebidae)
Spongy MothLymantria disparDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Webworm MothHyphantria cuneaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Brown-tail MothEuproctis chrysorrhoeaCan irritate skin
Isabella Tiger MothPyrrharctia isabella
Virginian Tiger MothSpilosoma virginicaCan irritate skin
Salt Marsh MothEstigmene acreaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallelia_bistriaris
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.