Bug FAQVariable Antepione Moth
Antepione thisoaria · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Geometridae
Also called: Variable Antepione, Variable Antipione
The variable antepione moth has a wingspan of about 27 to 40 mm. Adults show seasonal colour forms: spring moths are mottled light brown, summer males are bright yellow with reddish-brown shading and summer females are all yellow. They are found from eastern Canada through much of the United States down to Central America.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
All forms have pointed tips on the outer margins of both fore- and hindwings, and most have a dark triangular patch near the forewing apex.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 27 to 40 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
In Canada it occurs from Nova Scotia to Manitoba and extends south into the United States and further into Mexico, Costa Rica and Guatemala.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on a variety of trees and shrubs in the maple, walnut, birch, ebony and rose families, including alders, ninebark and black cherry.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
One generation occurs in Canada, with at least two generations farther south.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from April to May and again from July to August, with occasional records in March, June, September and October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Native to eastern Canada and the United States, also present in Mexico and Central America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 35 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Michigan, Connecticut, Vermont, North Carolina.
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
When can I expect to see adult variable antepione moths?
Adults fly in spring (April-May) and again in midsummer (July-August), with occasional sightings in early spring, early summer, and early fall.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on leaves of trees and shrubs such as alders, ninebark and black cherry, which belong to the maple, walnut, birch, ebony and rose families.
Source: Wikipedia
How many generations do they have?
In Canada there is typically one generation per year, while farther south they can have two or more generations.
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/Antepione_thisoaria
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.