Bug FAQSlant-lined Owlet
Macrochilo absorptalis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Slant-lined Owlet Moth
The slant-lined owlet moth has a wingspan of about 22 mm. Adults fly from May through September. It lives across Canada and the northern United States, from Manitoba to Nova Scotia, and south to Georgia and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Macrochilo absorptalis, called the slant-lined owlet or slant-lined fan-foot, belongs to the litter-moth family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan measures roughly 22 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
In the northern part of its range it produces one generation per year, while farther south it can have two or more generations.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from May through September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes parts of Canada and the United States, from Manitoba east to Nova Scotia and down to Georgia and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 27 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, Vermont, New York, Wisconsin, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Michigan, Pennsylvania.
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 many generations does this moth have each year?
One generation per year in the north, but two or more generations in the southern part of its range.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Erebidae)
Spongy MothLymantria disparDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Webworm MothHyphantria cuneaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Brown-tail MothEuproctis chrysorrhoeaCan irritate skin
Isabella Tiger MothPyrrharctia isabella
Virginian Tiger MothSpilosoma virginicaCan irritate skin
Salt Marsh MothEstigmene acreaDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrochilo_absorptalis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.