Bug FAQThin-lined Owlet
Isogona tenuis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
The thin-lined owlet moth has a wingspan of about 28 to 30 mm (1.1 to 1.2 in). It lives in eastern North America, from Ontario and the Great Lakes region down to Florida and Texas. Its caterpillars feed on trees in the Celtis genus.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Isogona tenuis, called the thin-lined owlet, belongs to the moth family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults have a wingspan of roughly 28 to 30 mm (1.1 to 1.2 in).
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on species of the tree genus Celtis.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from May to August in northern areas and from April to October in southern areas.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Flight season runs May-August in the north and April-October in the south.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes parts of Canada and the United States, from Ontario down to Texas and Florida.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
The thin-lined owlet is a moth in the family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 33 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana, Ohio, Mississippi, Kansas.
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
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 acreaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isogona_tenuis
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.