Bug FAQSkiff Moth
Prolimacodes badia · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Limacodidae
Source: Wikipedia
The skiff moth has a wingspan of about 24 to 35 mm. Adults are active from May through September.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Prolimacodes badia, called the skiff moth, belongs to the family Limacodidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 24 to 35 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on the leaves of many trees and shrubs, such as birch, blueberry, cherry, chestnut, hop-hornbeam, oak, poplar, sweet gale and willow.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adult moths are on the wing from May to September.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active during the months of May through September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 35 of 51 states and DC. Most records: North Carolina, Massachusetts, Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, Alabama, New York, Florida.
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 skiff moth caterpillars damage trees or garden plants?
Yes, the caterpillars eat the leaves of many tree and shrub species, which can harm trees and garden plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Limacodidae)
Saddleback Caterpillar MothAcharia stimuleaCan sting
Spiny Oak-slug MothEuclea delphiniiVenomous
Yellow-shouldered Slug MothLithacodes fasciolaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Crowned Slug MothIsa textulaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Yellow-collared Slug MothApoda y-inversaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Early Button Slug MothTortricidia testaceaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prolimacodes_badia
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.