Bug FAQPackard's Wave
Cyclophora packardi · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Geometridae
Packard’s wave moth has a wingspan of about 17 to 23 mm and yellow-orange brown wings.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The wings are yellowish to orangish-brown.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 17 to 23 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae possibly feed on sweet-fern (Comptonia) and oak (Quercus) species.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from April or May through September.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active from April/May to September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes the United States from the Atlantic coast to the Midwest and south to Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It is a geometrid moth known as Packard’s wave.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 42 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Maryland, Texas, North Carolina, Alabama, Massachusetts, Ohio, Virginia, New Jersey.
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 see adult Packard’s wave moths?
Adults are on the wing from April or May through September.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars eat?
The larvae possibly feed on sweet-fern (Comptonia) and oak (Quercus) plants.
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/Cyclophora_packardi
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.