Moths in Connecticut: What's Flying Tonight

In Connecticut, early summer nights are dominated by the invasive Spongy Moth (Lymantria dispar) along with native geometers like Macaria pustularia and the curve-toothed geometer Eutrapela clemataria. Spring brings the Eastern Tent Caterpillar Moth (Malacosoma americana) and the Spongy Moth, while early fall adds the Fall Webworm Moth (Hyphantria cunea) and the pale beauty Campaea perlata. What's actually flying depends on the night, so the live tool below ranks Connecticut's most likely species for your location and date from open GBIF records.

Most-recorded moths in Connecticut in July

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Macaria pustularia	Geometridae	186
2	Spongy Moth Lymantria dispar	Erebidae	150
3	Pleuroprucha insulsaria	Geometridae	83
4	Tortricidia flexuosa	Limacodidae	81
5	Panopoda rufimargo	Erebidae	77
6	Hypena scabra	Erebidae	73
7	Prochoerodes lineola	Geometridae	69
8	Microcrambus elegans	Crambidae	64
9	Ailanthus Webworm Moth Atteva punctella	Attevidae	64
10	Costaconvexa centrostrigaria	Geometridae	63
11	Hypoprepia fucosa	Erebidae	63
12	Blepharomastix ranalis	Crambidae	61
13	Callima argenticinctella	Oecophoridae	59
14	Acrolophus popeanella	Tineidae	57
15	Crambus agitatellus	Crambidae	56
16	Hypena baltimoralis	Erebidae	55
17	Idia aemula	Erebidae	54
18	Zanclognatha laevigata	Erebidae	54

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

What's flying in Connecticut right now

Connecticut's mix of oak-hickory forest, woodland edges, and suburban yards supports a strong moth fauna from spring through fall. Right now, in early summer, the most conspicuous moth is the Spongy Moth (Lymantria dispar) - an introduced, invasive defoliating pest whose periodic outbreaks strip oak canopies. Native species at your light now include the small geometer Macaria pustularia, the wave moth Pleuroprucha insulsaria, and the slug-caterpillar moth Tortricidia flexuosa.

Season by season

Spring (May)

Late spring features the Eastern Tent Caterpillar Moth (Malacosoma americana) - whose larvae build the silken tents in cherry and apple forks - along with the emerging Spongy Moth (Lymantria dispar), the curve-toothed geometer Eutrapela clemataria, and Plagodis alcoolaria (the hollow-spotted plagodis).

Summer (July)

July is peak Spongy Moth flight, when males flutter by day searching for flightless females. Native company includes Panopoda rufimargo, the geometer Prochoerodes lineola, the noctuid Hypena scabra (green cloverworm moth), and the grass moth Microcrambus elegans.

Fall (September)

Early fall shifts to the Fall Webworm Moth (Hyphantria cunea) - whose caterpillars spin the late-summer webs over branch tips - plus the pale beauty Campaea perlata, the gold-striped leaftier Machimia tentoriferella, and the all-season Ailanthus Webworm Moth (Atteva punctella).

Local mothing tips

The Spongy Moth is invasive - reporting outbreaks helps state foresters. Don't move egg masses on firewood or outdoor gear.
Run UV or mercury-vapor light over a white sheet; moths respond most strongly to UV and short wavelengths, and they gather because bright light disrupts their flight orientation rather than drawing them like a goal.
Warm, humid, moonless nights with little wind are best in southern New England.
See what makes a good night for moths and mothing for beginners.

See tonight's Connecticut list

Use the live prediction tool to rank tonight's likely moths at your location, or browse all states. For a neighboring comparison, see New Jersey. National Moth Week is July 18-26, 2026.

Moths in Connecticut by month (full year)

January

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Alsophila pometaria	Geometridae	20
2	Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis	Psychidae	4
3	Pyrrharctia isabella	Erebidae	4
4	Plodia interpunctella	Pyralidae	2
5	Spongy Moth Lymantria dispar	Erebidae	2
6	Noctua pronuba	Noctuidae	2
7	Phyllocnistis liriodendronella	Gracillariidae	2
8	Argyrotaenia pinatubana	Tortricidae	2
9	Idia lubricalis	Erebidae	1
10	Hypena scabra	Erebidae	1

February

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Alsophila pometaria	Geometridae	6
2	Argyrotaenia pinatubana	Tortricidae	4
3	Phigalia strigataria	Geometridae	2
4	Paleacrita vernata	Geometridae	2
5	Plodia interpunctella	Pyralidae	2
6	Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis	Psychidae	2
7	Pyreferra hesperidago	Noctuidae	2
8	Paleacrita merriccata	Geometridae	1
9	Polyphemus Moth Antheraea polyphemus	Saturniidae	1
10	Cecropia Moth Hyalophora cecropia	Saturniidae	1

March

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Phigalia titea	Geometridae	93
2	Phigalia strigataria	Geometridae	52
3	Psaphida rolandi	Noctuidae	16
4	Pyrrharctia isabella	Erebidae	16
5	Alsophila pometaria	Geometridae	12
6	Pyreferra hesperidago	Noctuidae	10
7	Phoberia atomaris	Erebidae	10
8	Orthosia hibisci	Noctuidae	9
9	Phigalia denticulata	Geometridae	7
10	Paleacrita vernata	Geometridae	6

April

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Malacosoma americana	Lasiocampidae	57
2	Phoberia atomaris	Erebidae	31
3	Eutrapela clemataria	Geometridae	24
4	Phyllodesma americana	Lasiocampidae	21
5	Pyrrharctia isabella	Erebidae	18
6	Orthosia rubescens	Noctuidae	15
7	Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis	Psychidae	15
8	Arogalea cristifasciella	Gelechiidae	15
9	Cladara atroliturata	Geometridae	14
10	Ectropis crepuscularia	Geometridae	12

May

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Malacosoma americana	Lasiocampidae	155
2	Spongy Moth Lymantria dispar	Erebidae	71
3	Eutrapela clemataria	Geometridae	59
4	Macrochilo morbidalis	Erebidae	46
5	Plagodis alcoolaria	Geometridae	37
6	Epimecis hortaria	Geometridae	32
7	Besma quercivoraria	Geometridae	32
8	Phaeoura quernaria	Geometridae	31
9	Paraeschra georgica	Notodontidae	27
10	Forest Tent Caterpillar Moth Malacosoma disstria	Lasiocampidae	27

June

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Spongy Moth Lymantria dispar	Erebidae	107
2	Macrochilo morbidalis	Erebidae	87
3	Protoboarmia porcelaria	Geometridae	78
4	Campaea perlata	Geometridae	74
5	Tetracis cachexiata	Geometridae	54
6	Macaria pustularia	Geometridae	53
7	Pyrrharctia isabella	Erebidae	49
8	Malacosoma americana	Lasiocampidae	48
9	Hypsopygia olinalis	Pyralidae	47
10	Nematocampa resistaria	Geometridae	43

July

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Macaria pustularia	Geometridae	186
2	Spongy Moth Lymantria dispar	Erebidae	150
3	Pleuroprucha insulsaria	Geometridae	83
4	Tortricidia flexuosa	Limacodidae	81
5	Panopoda rufimargo	Erebidae	77
6	Hypena scabra	Erebidae	73
7	Prochoerodes lineola	Geometridae	69
8	Microcrambus elegans	Crambidae	64
9	Ailanthus Webworm Moth Atteva punctella	Attevidae	64
10	Costaconvexa centrostrigaria	Geometridae	63

August

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Hypena scabra	Erebidae	79
2	Ailanthus Webworm Moth Atteva punctella	Attevidae	72
3	Protoboarmia porcelaria	Geometridae	56
4	Euchaetes egle	Erebidae	52
5	Udea rubigalis	Crambidae	50
6	Microcrambus elegans	Crambidae	48
7	Hypena baltimoralis	Erebidae	46
8	Mythimna unipuncta	Noctuidae	46
9	Pleuroprucha insulsaria	Geometridae	43
10	Athetis tarda	Noctuidae	38

September

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Campaea perlata	Geometridae	93
2	Machimia tentoriferella	Peleopodidae	55
3	Prochoerodes lineola	Geometridae	42
4	Ailanthus Webworm Moth Atteva punctella	Attevidae	41
5	Hyphantria cunea	Erebidae	39
6	Virginian Tiger Moth Spilosoma virginica	Erebidae	36
7	Noctua pronuba	Noctuidae	32
8	Idia americalis	Erebidae	30
9	Pyrrharctia isabella	Erebidae	30
10	Cisseps fulvicollis	Erebidae	29

October

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Pyrrharctia isabella	Erebidae	80
2	Agrochola bicolorago	Noctuidae	49
3	Cisseps fulvicollis	Erebidae	21
4	Ailanthus Webworm Moth Atteva punctella	Attevidae	18
5	Hickory Tussock Moth Lophocampa caryae	Erebidae	16
6	Ennomos magnaria	Geometridae	14
7	Papaipema inquaesita	Noctuidae	12
8	Agrotis ipsilon	Noctuidae	12
9	Glenoides texanaria	Geometridae	11
10	Idia aemula	Erebidae	10

November

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Pyrrharctia isabella	Erebidae	15
2	Agrochola bicolorago	Noctuidae	14
3	Hypena scabra	Erebidae	9
4	Sericaglaea signata	Noctuidae	8
5	Agrotis ipsilon	Noctuidae	6
6	Alsophila pometaria	Geometridae	4
7	Operophtera bruceata	Geometridae	4
8	Idia aemula	Erebidae	3
9	Glaucolepis saccharella	Nepticulidae	3
10	Erannis tiliaria	Geometridae	3

December

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Alsophila pometaria	Geometridae	20
2	Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis	Psychidae	7
3	Pyrrharctia isabella	Erebidae	5
4	Operophtera brumata	Geometridae	2
5	Spongy Moth Lymantria dispar	Erebidae	2
6	Coptotriche aenea	Tischeriidae	1
7	Hypena scabra	Erebidae	1
8	Stigmella quercipulchella	Nepticulidae	1
9	Operophtera bruceata	Geometridae	1
10	Hypagyrtis unipunctata	Geometridae	1

Frequently asked

Is the Spongy Moth in Connecticut harmful?

The Spongy Moth (Lymantria dispar, formerly gypsy moth) is invasive and its caterpillars defoliate oaks during outbreaks. The adults don't harm people, but the species damages forests, so avoid moving egg masses.

What makes the webs on Connecticut trees in late summer?

The Fall Webworm Moth (Hyphantria cunea). Its caterpillars build silk webs over the tips of branches in late summer and fall. It's mostly cosmetic and rarely kills established trees.

What is the tent caterpillar moth in Connecticut?

The Eastern Tent Caterpillar Moth (Malacosoma americana). Its spring caterpillars build silken tents in the forks of cherry and apple trees, and the brown adults fly in late spring and early summer.

When is the best time to see moths in Connecticut?

Warm, humid, moonless summer nights from June through September draw the most species. Set up a lit sheet after dark on a calm, low-wind evening.

How do I identify a moth I found in Connecticut?

This tool predicts likely species by location and date rather than reading a photo. For photo ID, use 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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