Bug FAQTawny-barred Angle
Macaria liturata · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Geometridae
Also called: Tawny-barred Angle Moth
The tawny-barred angle is a small moth with a wingspan of about 22 to 27 mm and forewings 11 to 13 mm long. Its wings are a muted purple-grey and show three dark crossbars on each forewing that thicken toward the front edge and often end in points. It lives in coniferous and mixed forests across Europe and the Palearctic, flying from May through September.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The moth’s wings have a purple-grey background colour. Three dark bands cross each forewing; they are broader near the leading edge and often break into pointy tips.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults have a wingspan ranging from 22 to 27 mm. Each forewing measures about 11 to 13 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It prefers habitats of coniferous and mixed woodlands.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
They are green with pale stripes, making them resemble pine needles.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from May to September. The larvae feed on coniferous hosts like Scots pine.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The moth is active during the months of May through September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species occurs from the British Isles eastward through Siberia to the Russian Far East and Japan. The nominate subspecies lives in the western part of the Palearctic, while M. liturata pressaria occupies the eastern Palearctic.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 1 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Questions people ask
What do the caterpillars look like?
They are green with pale stripes that help them blend in with pine needles.
Source: Wikipedia
What trees do the caterpillars eat?
They feed on coniferous trees, especially Scots pine.
Source: Wikipedia
Where does this moth live?
It inhabits coniferous and mixed forests across Europe and the Palearctic, from the British Isles to Japan.
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_liturata
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.