Bug FAQWhite-banded Black Moth
Rheumaptera subhastata · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Geometridae
Also called: White-Banded Black
The white-banded black moth has a wingspan of about 26 to 31 mm. Adults fly from mid-May to mid-July and there is one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Rheumaptera subhastata belongs to the Geometridae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 26 to 31 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs in the Palearctic and Nearctic realms, especially across western North America.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on the leaves of alder (Alnus) trees.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There is a single generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from mid-May through mid-July.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to the Palearctic and Nearctic regions, with a wide distribution in western North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 12 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Alaska, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, California.
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 see adult white-banded black moths?
Adults are active from mid-May to mid-July.
Source: Wikipedia
How many generations does this moth have each year?
It produces one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Geometridae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rheumaptera_subhastata
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-27 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-27.