Day-flying
Guides
Alypiodes bimaculata
Two-spotted Forester
Alypiodes bimaculata, commonly known as the two-spotted forester, is a diurnal moth in the family Noctuidae. Despite its common name, it bears more than two spots; the name refers specifically to the single small spot on each hindwing. The species was first described by Herrich-Schäffer in 1853 and occurs in the southwestern United States and Mexico.
Anania funebris
White-spotted Sable
Anania funebris is a diurnal day-flying moth in the family Crambidae, commonly known as the white-spotted sable. It is widespread across Europe, northern Asia, and North America. The species exhibits a distinctive black-and-white wing pattern and has two recognized subspecies separated by geography: A. f. funebris in Eurasia and A. f. glomeralis in North America.
Annaphila
Annaphila is a genus of owlet moths in the family Noctuidae, erected by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1873. The genus comprises approximately 24 described species distributed in western North America. Members are notable for being day-flying moths, a trait uncommon among Noctuidae. At least one species, Annaphila astrologa, has been documented using whispering bells (Emmenanthe penduliflora) as a larval host plant.
Annaphila arvalis
Annaphila arvalis is a small owlet moth in the family Noctuidae, described by Henry Edwards in 1875. Adults have a wingspan of approximately 20 mm and are active from early March to mid-April. The species is distributed across western North America from south-eastern British Columbia to southern California. Larvae feed on Montia perfoliata. The species is assigned Hodges number 9854.
Dichrorampha petiverella
Common Drill
Dichrorampha petiverella is a small tortricid moth with a wingspan of 10–13 mm, distributed across the Palearctic realm. Adults are active from April to August in western Europe, with larvae feeding internally on the rhizomes of yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and tansy. The species was first described by Linnaeus in 1758 and remains one of the more frequently recorded members of its genus due to its relatively broad host plant associations.
Drasteria graphica
Graphic Moth, Coastal Graphic
Drasteria graphica is a day-flying moth in the family Erebidae, found in coastal dune habitats along the Atlantic seaboard and Great Lakes shores. Adults have a wingspan of 30–35 mm and are active from May to August. The subspecies D. g. atlantica is listed as threatened in Connecticut.
Ellychnia megista
Ellychnia megista is a species of dark firefly in the family Lampyridae, described by Fender in 1970. Like other members of the genus Ellychnia, this species lacks the light-producing organs characteristic of most fireflies and is active during daylight hours rather than at night. The species is currently accepted in the genus Ellychnia, though it was originally described under Photinus. Dark fireflies in this genus are among the most commonly encountered fireflies in western North America, particularly in the southwestern United States and Rocky Mountain regions.
Haematopis
Chickweed Geometer
Haematopis is a monotypic moth genus in the family Geometridae, containing the single species Haematopis grataria, commonly known as the chickweed geometer. This small, day-flying moth is widespread across North America, recognized by its pale yellow wings marked with distinctive pink or red bands and spots. The genus was erected by Jacob Hübner in 1823, with the species described by Johan Christian Fabricius in the same year.
Harrisina americana
Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth
Harrisina americana, commonly known as the Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth, is a day-flying moth in the family Zygaenidae. Adults are uniformly black with a distinctive bright red collar on the neck, serving as aposematic warning coloration. The species is notable among insects for its ability to produce hydrogen cyanide as a chemical defense. Larvae feed on grape family plants, skeletonizing leaves by consuming tissue between the veins. The moth is widespread in the eastern United States and is frequently observed in association with wild and cultivated grapes as well as Virginia creeper.
Hemileuca electra
electra buckmoth
Hemileuca electra, the electra buckmoth, is a species of buck moth in the family Saturniidae. It is found in Central America and North America. The species was described by W. G. Wright in 1884. Three subspecies are recognized: H. e. clio, H. e. electra, and H. e. mojavensis. Like other Hemileuca species, it is a day-flying moth with larvae that possess urticating spines.
Hemileuca griffini
Griffin's Sheepmoth, Canadian Fleabane Moth
Hemileuca griffini is a day-flying silk moth in the family Saturniidae, described by Tuskes in 1978. The species occurs in North America and is one of approximately 24 species in the genus Hemileuca, commonly known as buck moths or sheep moths. Like other members of its genus, it is likely characterized by striking coloration and urticating (stinging) caterpillars that feed on woody plants. The Hodges number for this species is 7740.
Hemileuca lucina
New England buck moth
Hemileuca lucina, the New England buck moth, is a day-flying saturniid moth endemic to the New England region of the United States. The species is univoltine with adults emerging in September for a flight season lasting approximately two weeks. Larvae possess urticating spines that can cause painful dermatitis and exhibit a developmental shift from gregarious defensive behavior in early instars to solitary escape behavior in late instars. The species was historically confused with its sister species Hemileuca maia until subtle differences in wing translucence and band width were recognized.
Hemileuca tricolor
tricolor buckmoth
Hemileuca tricolor, the tricolor buckmoth, is a species of giant silkworm moth in the family Saturniidae. It is native to the Sonoran Desert region of the southwestern United States and Mexico. Like other members of the genus Hemileuca, it is a day-flying moth that is often mistaken for a butterfly due to its bright coloration. The species was first described by Packard in 1872 under the basionym Euleucophaeus tricolor.
Proserpinus flavofasciata
yellow-banded day sphinx
Proserpinus flavofasciata, commonly known as the yellow-banded day sphinx, is a day-flying hawk moth native to North America. The adult is a bumblebee mimic with distinctive black and yellow coloration. The species inhabits boreal and mountain forest edges and clearings, with a distribution spanning Canada from Alaska to the Maritimes and southward to Maine and Massachusetts. Larvae feed on Epilobium and Rubus species, and the species overwinters as a pupa in soil.
Rheumaptera hastata
Spear-marked Black Moth, Argent and Sable Moth
Rheumaptera hastata is a day-flying geometrid moth with distinctive black and white coloration. It is widely distributed across the Holarctic region, with well-studied populations in interior Alaska. The species is univoltine, with adults active from early June to mid-July. Larvae are external leaf feeders with strong host preferences, particularly for paper birch.