Bug FAQPale Gray Bird-dropping Moth
Antaeotricha leucillana · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Depressariidae
Source: Wikipedia
Antaeotricha leucillana, known as the pale gray bird-dropping moth, has a wingspan of 15 to 23 mm. It occurs across many parts of North America, from many U.S. states to Canadian provinces, and its caterpillars eat leaves of Pyracantha, apple, blueberry and maple.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The pale gray bird-dropping moth is called Antaeotricha leucillana.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan measures about 15 to 23 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars eat the leaves of plants such as Pyracantha crenulata, apple (Malus), highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) and maple (Acer).
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The species was first described by Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1854.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from April through August, at least in Ohio.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 35 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Mississippi, Michigan, Massachusetts, Maryland, Oklahoma, Tennessee, 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
What plants do the larvae feed on?
The larvae eat the leaves of Pyracantha crenulata, apple, highbush blueberry and maple.
Source: Wikipedia
When are the adult moths active?
Adults have been recorded flying from April to August in Ohio.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is this moth found?
It is found across many U.S. states and Canadian provinces in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Depressariidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antaeotricha_leucillana
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.