Bug FAQOrange Wing
Mellilla xanthometata · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Geometridae
Also called: Orange Wing Moth
The orange wing moth has a wingspan of roughly 16 to 21 mm. It lives throughout most of eastern North America. Larvae feed on the honey locust tree (Gleditsia triacanthos).
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from about 16 mm to 21 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on the leaves of honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos).
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active in early spring and late June.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range covers most of eastern North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 31 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Illinois, Ohio, Missouri, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Kentucky.
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
What do orange wing moth larvae eat?
The larvae feed on honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos).
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/Mellilla
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.