Bug FAQSmoky Idia Moth
Idia scobialis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Smoky Idia
The smoky idia moth (Idia scobialis) has a wingspan of about 20 mm and is found across the eastern United States and southern Canada. Its larvae feed on dead leaves and it produces one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The smoky idia moth, scientific name Idia scobialis, belongs to the litter moth group in the Erebidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan measures about 20 millimeters.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives in North America, ranging from Michigan, southern Quebec and Maine down to Florida and at least Kentucky.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on dead plant material such as fallen leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The species produces one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range covers parts of the United States and Canada in the eastern region.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 26 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, New Hampshire, North Carolina, New York, Maryland, 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 the smoky idia have per year?
There is one generation per year.
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/Idia_scobialis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.