Moths in Alabama: What's Flying Tonight

In Alabama, midsummer nights belong to small but abundant moths like the Ailanthus Webworm Moth (Atteva punctella), the litter moths Idia americalis and Idia aemula, and geometers such as Eutrapela clemataria (the curve-toothed geometer). Spring favors the Luna Moth (Actias luna) and the Eastern Tent Caterpillar Moth (Malacosoma americana), while early fall brings soybean-feeding noctuids like Anticarsia gemmatalis and Chrysodeixis includens to lights. What is actually flying depends on the exact night, so the live tool below ranks Alabama's most likely species for your location and date from open GBIF records.

Most-recorded moths in Alabama in July

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Spodoptera ornithogalli	Noctuidae	112
2	Ailanthus Webworm Moth Atteva punctella	Attevidae	111
3	Idia americalis	Erebidae	92
4	Idia aemula	Erebidae	91
5	Marimatha nigrofimbria	Noctuidae	84
6	Eutrapela clemataria	Geometridae	81
7	Polygrammate hebraeicum	Noctuidae	72
8	Anicla infecta	Noctuidae	71
9	Luna Moth Actias luna	Saturniidae	70
10	Panopoda carneicosta	Erebidae	67
11	Imperial Moth Eacles imperialis	Saturniidae	66
12	Panopoda rufimargo	Erebidae	66
13	Cydia latiferreana	Tortricidae	65
14	Pleuroprucha insulsaria	Geometridae	64
15	Microcrambus elegans	Crambidae	62
16	Acrolophus plumifrontella	Tineidae	61
17	Apoda y-inversa	Limacodidae	61
18	Epimecis hortaria	Geometridae	58

Want tonight's list for your exact spot plus a good-mothing-night score? Open the live tool →

What's flying in Alabama right now

Alabama sits in the moth-rich Southeast, where warm, humid nights keep species active from spring into late fall. Right now, around late June and into July, your porch light is most likely to draw the Ailanthus Webworm Moth (Atteva punctella) - a small, day-and-night orange-and-white moth tied to invasive tree-of-heaven - along with several plain brown litter moths in the genus Idia (Idia americalis and Idia aemula) and the yellow-spotted Marimatha nigrofimbria (the black-bordered lemon moth). Watch the wall for the angular Eutrapela clemataria, a large curve-toothed geometer that rests with wings flat.

Season by season

Spring (May)

Late spring is your best shot at Alabama's showpiece, the Luna Moth (Actias luna) - a pale green giant silk moth whose long hindwing tails are thought to confuse hunting bats' echolocation. Like all giant silk moths, the adult Luna has no working mouthparts and never eats; it lives only a week or two to mate. May also brings the Eastern Tent Caterpillar Moth (Malacosoma americana) and small grass moths like Microcrambus elegans.

Summer (July)

July is peak diversity. Alongside the webworm and Idia moths, look for Spodoptera ornithogalli (the yellow-striped armyworm moth), Polygrammate hebraeicum (the Hebrew moth), and Anicla infecta (the green cutworm moth). Numbers are high and turnover is fast - a sheet checked twice in a night can show different casts of species.

Fall (September)

By September the mix shifts toward crop-associated noctuids: Chrysodeixis includens (soybean looper), Anticarsia gemmatalis (velvetbean caterpillar moth), and Lacinipolia laudabilis. The Ailanthus Webworm Moth stays common right through fall.

Local mothing tips

Moths come to UV and short-wavelength light most strongly. A UV or mercury-vapor bulb over a white sheet beats a plain white LED.
The leading explanation for why they gather is that artificial light disrupts their flight orientation, not that the light "attracts" them like a goal - so a still, dark yard with one bright light works best.
Warm, humid, moonless Alabama nights with little wind are prime. See what makes a good night for moths.
New to this? Start with mothing for beginners.

See tonight's Alabama list

Use the live prediction tool to rank the moths most likely flying at your spot tonight, or browse all states to compare. July 18-26, 2026 is National Moth Week - a great excuse to put up a sheet.

Moths in Alabama by month (full year)

January

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Hypena scabra	Erebidae	19
2	Phigalia denticulata	Geometridae	19
3	Iridopsis defectaria	Geometridae	10
4	Polyphemus Moth Antheraea polyphemus	Saturniidae	5
5	Metaxaglaea viatica	Noctuidae	5
6	Paleacrita merriccata	Geometridae	4
7	Chimoptesis gerulae	Tortricidae	3
8	Eupithecia miserulata	Geometridae	3
9	Gretchena bolliana	Tortricidae	3
10	Digrammia continuata	Geometridae	2

February

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Hypena scabra	Erebidae	73
2	Phigalia denticulata	Geometridae	58
3	Phoberia atomaris	Erebidae	32
4	Chimoptesis pennsylvaniana	Tortricidae	24
5	Alsophila pometaria	Geometridae	22
6	Chimoptesis gerulae	Tortricidae	15
7	Udea rubigalis	Crambidae	14
8	Phigalia strigataria	Geometridae	13
9	Galgula partita	Noctuidae	13
10	Ceratonyx satanaria	Geometridae	11

March

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Cissusa spadix	Erebidae	54
2	Phoberia atomaris	Erebidae	52
3	Hypena scabra	Erebidae	39
4	Udea rubigalis	Crambidae	39
5	Luna Moth Actias luna	Saturniidae	38
6	Mythimna unipuncta	Noctuidae	34
7	Galgula partita	Noctuidae	32
8	Achatia distincta	Noctuidae	30
9	Argyrotaenia velutinana	Tortricidae	30
10	Orthonama obstipata	Geometridae	25

April

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Malacosoma americana	Lasiocampidae	86
2	Luna Moth Actias luna	Saturniidae	63
3	Polygrammate hebraeicum	Noctuidae	59
4	Panopoda rufimargo	Erebidae	52
5	Macrurocampa marthesia	Notodontidae	48
6	Athetis tarda	Noctuidae	42
7	Hypena scabra	Erebidae	40
8	Costaconvexa centrostrigaria	Geometridae	40
9	Udea rubigalis	Crambidae	38
10	Idia aemula	Erebidae	34

May

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Microcrambus elegans	Crambidae	95
2	Luna Moth Actias luna	Saturniidae	86
3	Costaconvexa centrostrigaria	Geometridae	80
4	Blepharomastix ranalis	Crambidae	64
5	Malacosoma americana	Lasiocampidae	64
6	Elophila obliteralis	Crambidae	58
7	Polygrammate hebraeicum	Noctuidae	57
8	Hypsopygia olinalis	Pyralidae	54
9	Argyrotaenia quercifoliana	Tortricidae	52
10	Choristoneura rosaceana	Tortricidae	50

June

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Pleuroprucha insulsaria	Geometridae	54
2	Spodoptera ornithogalli	Noctuidae	40
3	Idia aemula	Erebidae	39
4	Microcrambus elegans	Crambidae	39
5	Anicla infecta	Noctuidae	37
6	Costaconvexa centrostrigaria	Geometridae	35
7	Acrolophus plumifrontella	Tineidae	33
8	Epimecis hortaria	Geometridae	33
9	Acrolophus mycetophagus	Tineidae	33
10	Idia americalis	Erebidae	29

July

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Spodoptera ornithogalli	Noctuidae	112
2	Ailanthus Webworm Moth Atteva punctella	Attevidae	111
3	Idia americalis	Erebidae	92
4	Idia aemula	Erebidae	91
5	Marimatha nigrofimbria	Noctuidae	84
6	Eutrapela clemataria	Geometridae	81
7	Polygrammate hebraeicum	Noctuidae	72
8	Anicla infecta	Noctuidae	71
9	Luna Moth Actias luna	Saturniidae	70
10	Panopoda carneicosta	Erebidae	67

August

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Acrolophus popeanella	Tineidae	81
2	Marimatha nigrofimbria	Noctuidae	74
3	Ailanthus Webworm Moth Atteva punctella	Attevidae	65
4	Idia americalis	Erebidae	61
5	Luna Moth Actias luna	Saturniidae	55
6	Idia aemula	Erebidae	53
7	Iridopsis defectaria	Geometridae	51
8	Hypena scabra	Erebidae	48
9	Spodoptera ornithogalli	Noctuidae	46
10	Hyphantria cunea	Erebidae	45

September

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Idia americalis	Erebidae	69
2	Chrysodeixis includens	Noctuidae	69
3	Ailanthus Webworm Moth Atteva punctella	Attevidae	67
4	Anticarsia gemmatalis	Erebidae	65
5	Lacinipolia laudabilis	Noctuidae	59
6	Cydia latiferreana	Tortricidae	52
7	Banded Tussock Moth Halysidota tessellaris	Erebidae	46
8	Hyphantria cunea	Erebidae	43
9	Hypena scabra	Erebidae	38
10	Athetis tarda	Noctuidae	37

October

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Anticarsia gemmatalis	Erebidae	112
2	Idia americalis	Erebidae	52
3	Idia aemula	Erebidae	45
4	Udea rubigalis	Crambidae	43
5	Hypena scabra	Erebidae	41
6	Mythimna unipuncta	Noctuidae	38
7	Banded Tussock Moth Halysidota tessellaris	Erebidae	34
8	Spodoptera dolichos	Noctuidae	31
9	Agrotis ipsilon	Noctuidae	31
10	Ailanthus Webworm Moth Atteva punctella	Attevidae	30

November

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Agrotis ipsilon	Noctuidae	54
2	Agrochola bicolorago	Noctuidae	43
3	Anicla infecta	Noctuidae	31
4	Agnorisma badinodis	Noctuidae	30
5	Hypena scabra	Erebidae	29
6	Spodoptera dolichos	Noctuidae	29
7	Anticarsia gemmatalis	Erebidae	25
8	Idia americalis	Erebidae	24
9	Idia aemula	Erebidae	23
10	Feltia subterranea	Noctuidae	20

December

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Hypena scabra	Erebidae	14
2	Iridopsis defectaria	Geometridae	7
3	Metaxaglaea viatica	Noctuidae	7
4	Pyrrharctia isabella	Erebidae	5
5	Agrotis ipsilon	Noctuidae	5
6	Feralia major	Noctuidae	4
7	Mythimna unipuncta	Noctuidae	4
8	Agrochola bicolorago	Noctuidae	3
9	Ilexia intractata	Geometridae	2
10	Lambdina fervidaria	Geometridae	2

Frequently asked

What is the big green moth in Alabama?

That's almost certainly the Luna Moth (Actias luna), a pale green giant silk moth with long hindwing tails. It's most common in late spring and early summer and is harmless - adults don't even eat.

Do moths in Alabama bite or sting?

Adult moths don't bite or sting. A few Alabama caterpillars (like tussock and io moth larvae) have irritating or stinging hairs, so don't handle fuzzy or spiny caterpillars, but the adult moths at your light are harmless.

What are the small orange moths on my porch in Alabama?

Likely the Ailanthus Webworm Moth (Atteva punctella), a small orange-and-white moth that's active day and night and common from July through fall. It's tied to the invasive tree-of-heaven.

When is the best time to see moths in Alabama?

Warm, humid, moonless summer nights from June through September draw the most species. Set up after dark and check your light repeatedly, since which moths fly turns over through the night.

How do I identify a moth I found in Alabama?

This tool predicts likely species by location and date rather than reading a photo. For photo ID, try iNaturalist or Seek, BugGuide, the Moth Photographers Group, or BAMONA.

Top moth species per month from open-licensed GBIF records (CC0/CC-BY), aggregated over an approximate state bounding box. Butterflies excluded. GBIF download DOI: 10.15468/dl.3w3w76. Independent project; not affiliated with iNaturalist or Butterfly Conservation.

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