Bug FAQVariable Oakleaf Caterpillar Moth
Lochmaeus manteo · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Notodontidae
Also called: Variable Oak-leaf Caterpillar Moth
Source: Wikipedia
Adults have a wingspan of about 37 to 50 mm. They live in eastern North America. Caterpillars eat leaves of many deciduous trees, especially oaks, and can harm garden trees.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 37 to 50 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found in eastern North America.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on a variety of deciduous trees, with a preference for oak species.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from April through October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to eastern North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 40 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Alabama, North Carolina, Arkansas, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland.
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
Questions people ask
What do the caterpillars eat?
They feed on leaves of many deciduous trees, especially oaks.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Notodontidae)
White-dotted ProminentNadata gibbosaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Buff-tipPhalera bucephalaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Common Gluphisia MothGluphisia septentrionis
Pine Processionary-mothThaumetopoea pityocampaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Walnut Caterpillar MothDatana integerrimaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Unicorn ProminentCoelodasys unicornisDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lochmaeus_manteo
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.