Bug FAQWhite Flannel Moth
Norape cretata · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Megalopygidae
Adults have a wingspan of about 27 to 33 mm. They are found from the Washington, D.C. area south to Florida and west to Montana and Texas, extending through Mexico, Central America and into northern South America. Adults fly from April to May and again from July to October, with two generations in the north and likely more farther south.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Adults are on the wing in spring (April-May) and again in late summer to fall (July-October).
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The moth’s wingspan ranges from 27 to 33 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
In the United States it occurs from Washington, D.C. south to Florida and west to Montana and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are active April-May and July-October. There are two generations per year in the northern part of the range, with likely more generations farther south.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults appear in spring and again in late summer to fall.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
In the United States it is native from Washington, D.C. south to Florida and west to Montana and Texas. Further south it is native through Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Venezuela, Suriname and Bolivia.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 19 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Ohio, Alabama, Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Texas.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are adult White Flannel Moths active?
Adults fly in two periods: April to May and July to October.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Megalopygidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norape_ovina
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 2026-10-23.