Field Guide

Tent caterpillar moths and lappet moths are medium-sized, with thick, long scales that make them look furry. The abdomen usually extends past the wings when they are folded back over the body.

At rest, tortricid moths often have a distinctive shape, resembling an arrowhead or a bell, with the forewing tips either squared-off or flared outward.

Leaf skeletonizer moths are also called smoky moths because they have translucent smoky-brown, brownish gray, or black wings. Many species also have patches or orange or rusty color. Larvae eat all but the veins of leaves, leaving a skeleton of veins behind.

Sod webworms are very common small moths that develop as caterpillars among the roots and leaves of grasses. They are attracted to lights at night.

The lettered sphinx is the earliest of our sphinx moths to emerge in springtime and may be seen starting in March and April. This single-brooded resident uses wild grapes, Virginia creeper, and peppervine as its caterpillar food plants.

The bent-line carpet and several similar geometrid moths are called carpet moths for their intricate wing patterns, reminiscent of the traditional carpets of Asia and the Middle East.

The enormous, horned caterpillars of regal moths are more famous than the winged adults. This splendid moth is well established in the Ozarks and eastern Missouri.

Learn about moths as a group. What makes a moth a moth? How are moths different from butterflies? What are the major groups of moths?

The gray comma is easy to ID if you can see the underside: it is charcoal gray with many fine dark streaks, and its comma marking is L-shaped and narrows to a fine point at each end.

The eastern comma is named for a small white mark on the underside of the hindwing. It flies spring through fall, and even in winter, on warm, sunny days.