Bug FAQMountain Mahogany Looper Moth
Iridopsis clivinaria · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Geometridae
Also called: mountain-mahogany looper
The adult moth has forewings that measure about 22 to 25 mm long. Adults are seen flying from early spring through midsummer, roughly March to July, and they produce one generation each year. Caterpillars mainly eat the leaves of mountain mahogany and related shrubs, sometimes skeletonising the foliage.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Adults are on the wing from March through July, producing a single generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Forewing length ranges from 22 to 25 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed mainly on leaves of Cercocarpus species and Purshia tridentata. Young caterpillars skeletonise the leaves of their host plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The species has one generation per year, with adults flying from March to July.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active from March through July.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes western North America, from British Columbia down to California and eastward to Idaho, Colorado and Arizona.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 9 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, New Mexico, Arizona, Nebraska.
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
When can I expect to see adult Mountain Mahogany Looper Moths?
Adults are on the wing from March to July each year.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars eat?
They mainly eat leaves of mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus) and bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata), and can also feed on Prunus and Ceanothus species.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Geometridae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iridopsis_clivinaria
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-27 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-27.