Bug FAQRed-headed Inchworm Moth
Macaria bisignata · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Geometridae
Also called: Red-headed Inchworm, Redheaded Inchworm
The red-headed inchworm moth has a wingspan of about 25 mm (just under an inch). It lives across much of North America, from Newfoundland and Ontario down to Georgia and west to Arizona. Adults fly from May through August, and the caterpillars feed mainly on pine trees such as eastern white pine.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan is roughly 25 mm (0.98 in).
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed almost exclusively on pine species, especially eastern white pine (Pinus strobus).
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from May to August, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Flight period spans May through August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Native to North America, ranging from eastern Canada through the eastern United States and into the western states like Arizona.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 35 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Michigan, Maine, Connecticut, Virginia.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How can I tell this moth apart from similar species?
Look for the reddish-brown head and the distinctive dark brown spots on the forewing costa and the larger subrectangular spot where the subterminal band meets the edge; the look-alike Psamatodes abydata does not have these marks.
Source: Wikipedia
When are these moths active?
Adults fly from May through August, with exact timing varying by region.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed almost exclusively on pine trees, especially eastern white pine.
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/Macaria_bisignata
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.