Bug FAQNorth American Common Gray
Anavitrinella pampinaria · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Geometridae
Also called: Common Gray, Common Gray Moth, Common Grey, Cranberry Spanworm
Source: Wikipedia
The common gray moth has a wingspan of about 23 to 34 mm. It lives across most of North America down to Mexico, but not in the Arctic. Its caterpillars feed on apple, ash, clover, pear, poplar and willow species, so they can harm trees and garden plants.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Anavitrinella pampinaria, called the common gray, belongs to the Geometridae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults have a wingspan ranging from 23 to 34 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found throughout most of North America, extending south to Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae eat leaves of apple, ash, clover, pear, poplar and willow plants.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adult moths are active from April through October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 48 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Alabama, Ohio, Massachusetts, Virginia.
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
Do the caterpillars damage trees or garden plants?
Yes, the larvae feed on several tree and shrub species such as apple, ash, poplar and willow, which can harm gardens and orchards.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Geometridae)
Willow BeautyPeribatodes rhomboidaria
Pale BeautyCampaea perlataDamages trees, gardens or crops
Large Lace-border MothScopula limboundataDamages trees, gardens or crops
Riband WaveIdaea aversata
Yellow Shell MothCamptogramma bilineata
Large Maple Spanworm MothProchoerodes lineolaDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anavitrinella_pampinaria
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.