Bug FAQWhite Flannel Moth (Norape ovina)
Norape ovina · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Megalopygidae
The white flannel moth has a wingspan of about 27 to 33 mm. It lives from the eastern United States down through Mexico, Central America and into parts of South America. The caterpillars have a sting and feed on hackberry and redbud trees.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure 27 to 33 mm across the wings.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
In the United States it occurs from Washington, D.C. south to Florida and west to Montana and Texas. Its range continues south through Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Venezuela, Suriname and Bolivia.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The stinging larvae feed on the leaves of hackberry and redbud trees.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing in two periods: April to May and July to October. In northern parts of its range there are two generations per year, with more generations farther south.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults appear from April through May and again from July through October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to the United States, ranging from Washington, D.C. to Florida and west to Montana and Texas. Further south it is found in Mexico, Central America and parts of South America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 16 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Mississippi, Kentucky, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Maryland, Tennessee, North Carolina.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
Questions people ask
When are adult white flannel moths active?
Adults fly from April to May and again from July to October.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Megalopygidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norape_ovina
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-27 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-27.