Bug FAQMoonseed Moth
Plusiodonta compressipalpis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
The Moonseed Moth has a wingspan of about 25 to 33 mm and flies from May through September, producing two generations in much of its range.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults have a wingspan of 25 to 33 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are found from Minnesota and extreme southern Canada east to Connecticut and south to northern Florida and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on plants in the Menispermum genus and on snailseed vines.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from May to September, with two generations in much of the eastern part of their range.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active from May through September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Their native range covers the same North American region described for their habitat.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 36 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi.
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
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/Plusiodonta_compressipalpis
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.