Bug FAQMorning-glory Prominent
Schizura ipomaeae · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Notodontidae
Also called: Checkered-fringe Prominent, Morning-glory Prominent Moth
Source: Wikipedia
The morning-glory prominent moth has a wingspan of about 36 to 47 mm. The caterpillars eat leaves of a wide range of woody plants, which can harm trees and garden plants.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Schizura ipomoeae, known as the morning-glory prominent moth, belongs to the Notodontidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 36 to 47 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives in the United States and southern Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on leaves of many woody plants such as beech, birch, elm, maple, morning-glory, oak, witch-hazel and rose.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
In the north there is one generation each year. The species spends the winter as a pupa.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from April to September in southern areas and from June to August in northern areas.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes the United States and southern Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It is a moth of the Notodontidae family, sometimes called the false unicorn caterpillar.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 46 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Alabama, Ohio, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Michigan.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do the caterpillars eat?
They eat the leaves of many trees and shrubs, including beech, birch, elm, maple, oak, witch-hazel and rose.
Source: Wikipedia
When are the adult moths active?
Adults fly from April through September in the south and from June through August in the north.
Source: Wikipedia
How large is the morning-glory prominent moth?
Its wingspan measures about 36 to 47 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Notodontidae)
White-dotted ProminentNadata gibbosaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Buff-tipPhalera bucephalaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Common Gluphisia MothGluphisia septentrionis
Pine Processionary-mothThaumetopoea pityocampaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Walnut Caterpillar MothDatana integerrimaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Unicorn ProminentCoelodasys unicornisDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizura_ipomoeae
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.