Spring-flight
Guides
Abagrotis glenni
Abagrotis glenni is a noctuid moth described by Buckett in 1968. It occurs in western North America from British Columbia south to California and east to Utah. Adults are active in spring, with larvae feeding on coniferous host plants.
Adela flammeusella
Fairy Longhorn Moth
Adela flammeusella is a species of fairy longhorn moth in the family Adelidae, characterized by the extremely long antennae typical of this group. Males possess antennae up to three times the length of the forewings, while females have antennae roughly twice as long. The species was described by V.T. Chambers in 1876 and is restricted to the Pacific coastal region of western North America.
Argyrotaenia burroughsi
Argyrotaenia burroughsi is a species of tortricid moth described by Obraztsov in 1961. It is known from a limited geographic range in the southwestern United States. Adult flight activity occurs in early spring and mid-summer. Like other members of the genus Argyrotaenia, it is presumed to be a leafroller moth, though specific details of its biology remain poorly documented.
Argyrotaenia mariana
gray-banded leafroller moth
Argyrotaenia mariana is a small tortricid moth known as the gray-banded leafroller moth. The species occurs across eastern and central North America, with adults active from spring through summer. Larvae feed on a diverse array of woody plants including maples, birches, oaks, apples, and blueberries. The species was first described by Fernald in 1882 under the name Lophoderus mariana.
Aseptis susquesa
Aseptis susquesa is a noctuid moth described by John Bernhardt Smith in 1908. It occurs in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, inhabiting rocky desert and mountain-desert transition zones. Adults fly in spring, and larvae feed on specific desert shrubs.
Bucculatrix ochristrigella
Bucculatrix ochristrigella is a small moth in the family Bucculatricidae, first described by Annette Frances Braun in 1910. It is known only from California in western North America. Adults are active in April and have a wingspan of 11–12 mm. The larvae are leaf miners that have been reared on Madia gracilis, a species of tarweed in the sunflower family.
Callophrys affinis
Western Green Hairstreak, Immaculate Green Hairstreak
Callophrys affinis is a small butterfly in the family Lycaenidae, commonly known as the western green hairstreak or immaculate green hairstreak. It is found in western North America from western Canada through the western United States. Adults fly in a single generation from early spring to mid-summer. The larvae feed specifically on Eriogonum umbellatum.
Callophrys augustinus
Brown Elfin, Western Elfin (subspecies iroides)
Callophrys augustinus, the brown elfin, is a small lycaenid butterfly with a wingspan of 22–29 mm. Adults are active in a single generation from early May to early June. The species is univoltine with pupal hibernation. Larvae feed on Ericaceae species in eastern North America and a broader range of host plants in western populations.
Callophrys sheridanii
Sheridan's Hairstreak, Sheridan's Green Hairstreak
A small, tail-less hairstreak butterfly with a wingspan of 20–24 mm, recognized by the characteristic straight white line crossing the underside of both wings. The species exhibits variable underside coloration from bright green to dark gray-green. It was designated the state butterfly of Wyoming in 2009. The species occupies a broad elevational range and shows significant geographic variation in wing pattern expression.
Cyclophora packardi
Packard's wave moth, Packard's wave
Cyclophora packardi, commonly known as Packard's wave moth or Packard's wave, is a small geometrid moth found in eastern and central North America. Adults are active from spring through early fall, with multiple generations likely occurring during this period. The species exhibits characteristic yellowish to orangish-brown wing coloration. Larval host plant associations remain partially uncertain, with possible feeding on Comptonia and Quercus species.
Elachista irrorata
A small North American moth in the family Elachistidae, described by Braun in 1920. Adults have a wingspan of 8.2–11 mm and are active from March through October. The larvae are leaf miners that feed on two specific grass species: Glyceria striata and Agrostis perennans, with larval activity occurring in April and May. The species is recorded from 11 states/provinces in the eastern United States and Ontario, Canada.
Epitheca spinigera
Spiny Baskettail
Epitheca spinigera, the Spiny Baskettail, is a dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. Adults have brilliant green eyes characteristic of the family. The species is active from late May to early July in North America. Like other baskettails, females practice exophytic oviposition, extruding eggs onto the subgenital plate and trailing them in gelatinous strings through water during flight rather than inserting them into vegetation.
Eupithecia annulata
larch pug moth
Eupithecia annulata, commonly known as the larch pug moth, is a small geometrid moth first described by George Duryea Hulst in 1896. The species is notable for its broad distribution across North America, ranging from the Yukon to Newfoundland and south to California and Colorado. Adults are active in spring, with larvae feeding on a diverse array of coniferous and some deciduous host plants including larch, spruce, fir, Douglas-fir, and western red cedar.
Eupithecia vitreotata
Eupithecia vitreotata is a small geometrid moth described by Samuel E. Cassino in 1927. It belongs to the diverse 'pug' genus Eupithecia, characterized by narrow wings and a distinctive resting posture. The species occurs in the southwestern United States and has been documented visiting apple flowers, contributing to nocturnal pollination.
Euxoa edictalis
Euxoa edictalis is a moth species in the family Noctuidae, first described by Smith in 1893. The species has a wingspan of 35–39 mm and occurs in western North America from southern Alberta and Montana west to British Columbia, and south through California, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. Adults are active in May in Alberta, with one generation per year. Like other Euxoa species, the larvae are likely cutworms that feed on plants, though specific host records for this species are not documented.
Feralia major
Major Sallow
Feralia major is a noctuid moth with a wingspan of approximately 40 mm. It occurs across the northeastern United States and southern boreal forest of Canada, extending west to Alberta. Adults are active in April, with timing varying by location. The species was first described by John Bernhardt Smith in 1890.
Hypotrix rubra
Hypotrix rubra is a small noctuid moth described in 2010. The species occurs in montane pine-oak woodlands of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Adults are active in spring and mid-summer.
Metalectra diabolica
diabolical fungus moth
Metalectra diabolica is a small moth in the family Erebidae, first described in 1924. It occurs in the southeastern and south-central United States, with adults active primarily during spring and summer months. The species is known to feed on fungi during its larval stage.
Nasusina minuta
Nasusina minuta is a small geometrid moth first described by George Duryea Hulst in 1896. It is restricted to arid regions of the southwestern United States, where adults are active primarily in spring with additional late-season emergences. The species is notable for its diminutive size among geometrid moths.
Proteoteras aesculana
maple twig borer, maple tip moth, early proteoteras, Maple Twig Borer Moth
Proteoteras aesculana is a small tortricid moth known as the maple twig borer or maple tip moth. It is a significant pest of maple trees in production nurseries, where larval feeding causes tip dieback and kills the central leader. The species has a broad North American distribution spanning from coast to coast in the northern United States and scattered locations across southern Canada.
Protorthodes antennata
Protorthodes antennata is a small noctuid moth described in 1912 by Barnes and McDunnough. It is distinguished from congeners by its unique reniform spot pattern lacking a dark outline. The species has a restricted range in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, with adults active in spring and fall.
Protorthodes perforata
Protorthodes perforata is a small noctuid moth described by Augustus Radcliffe Grote in 1883. The species occurs across the southern United States and into central Mexico, with adults active during two distinct periods in spring and late summer through autumn. It is recognized by its pale gray forewings with contrasting dark spotting pattern.
Scoparia palloralis
Scoparia palloralis is a small moth in the family Crambidae, described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1906. It occurs in western North America from British Columbia to southern California, with inland records from Colorado and western Texas. The species exhibits seasonal flight activity in spring and summer, with timing varying by latitude and elevation.