Moths in Kentucky: What's Flying Tonight

Kentucky's warm summer nights bring big silk moths and sphinxes: in July you can find the yellow-and-purple Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis), the pale-green Luna Moth (Actias luna), and the Virginia Creeper Sphinx (Darapsa myron) at lights and flowers, alongside the common Ailanthus Webworm Moth (Atteva punctella). May is peak Luna season, while September shifts to tussock moths like the Banded Tussock Moth (Halysidota tessellaris) and White-marked Tussock Moth (Orgyia leucostigma). Exactly what flies tonight depends on your location and date, so check the live tool.

Most-recorded moths in Kentucky in July

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Ailanthus Webworm Moth Atteva punctella	Attevidae	86
2	Haploa clymene	Erebidae	77
3	Imperial Moth Eacles imperialis	Saturniidae	72
4	Euchaetes egle	Erebidae	56
5	Epimecis hortaria	Geometridae	55
6	Virginia Creeper Sphinx Darapsa myron	Sphingidae	55
7	Luna Moth Actias luna	Saturniidae	50
8	Acrolophus popeanella	Tineidae	48
9	Eudryas grata	Noctuidae	48
10	Snowberry Clearwing Hemaris diffinis	Sphingidae	46
11	Norape cretata	Megalopygidae	46
12	Hypena scabra	Erebidae	45
13	Rosy Maple Moth Dryocampa rubicunda	Saturniidae	42
14	Mellilla xanthometata	Geometridae	40
15	Eutrapela clemataria	Geometridae	39
16	Banded Tussock Moth Halysidota tessellaris	Erebidae	39
17	Cisseps fulvicollis	Erebidae	39
18	Crambus agitatellus	Crambidae	37

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

What's flying in Kentucky right now

Kentucky's hickory-and-oak woodlands are prime habitat for some of North America's most spectacular moths. Midsummer lights here pull the Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis), a hand-sized yellow moth blotched with purple-brown, and the Luna Moth (Actias luna) with its trailing hindwing tails. Both are giant silk moths (Saturniidae) that do not eat as adults; they live only a week or two to mate, so you will only meet them at lights, never at flowers.

Feeding the flowers instead is the Virginia Creeper Sphinx (Darapsa myron), a strong-flying hawk moth whose caterpillars use grape and Virginia creeper. The day-active Ailanthus Webworm Moth (Atteva punctella) and the Clymene Moth (Haploa clymene) round out a busy July sheet, along with the Tufted Apple Bud Moth relative Epimecis hortaria (Tulip-tree Beauty).

Season by season

Late spring (May): This is the best window for the Luna Moth, which leads the May list here. The Eastern Tent Caterpillar Moth (Malacosoma americana), the Tulip-tree Beauty (Epimecis hortaria), and the Pale Beauty (Campaea perlata) fill out spring nights.

Midsummer (July): Peak silk-moth and sphinx season: Imperial Moth, Luna Moth, Virginia Creeper Sphinx, plus the Milkweed Tussock Moth (Euchaetes egle) and Ailanthus Webworm. Warm, moonless July nights are ideal, and National Moth Week (July 18-26, 2026) falls right in this stretch.

Early fall (September): The lineup turns to tussocks and tiger moths. The Banded Tussock Moth (Halysidota tessellaris), White-marked Tussock Moth (Orgyia leucostigma), Fall Webworm Moth (Hyphantria cunea), and Virginian Tiger Moth (Spilosoma virginica) lead. A note for families: several tussock caterpillars carry irritating hairs, so look but do not handle.

Mothing tips for Kentucky

A UV or mercury-vapor bulb over a white sheet badly outperforms a white-LED porch light. Moths respond most to short-wavelength light.
They are not chasing the bulb; bright artificial light disrupts the steady angle they hold to the moon, so they spiral in.
Target warm, humid, moonless nights. Check the good-night-for-moths score first.
Want to know what you caught? See what moth is this.

See tonight's prediction

Open the live tool for a Kentucky forecast and a good-mothing-night score for your exact location, or compare with neighbors like Tennessee and West Virginia from the state index.

Moths in Kentucky by month (full year)

January

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Hypena scabra	Erebidae	3
2	Pyrrharctia isabella	Erebidae	2
3	Scoliopteryx libatrix	Erebidae	2
4	Eupsilia sidus	Noctuidae	2
5	Phyllocnistis insignis	Gracillariidae	2
6	Idia lubricalis	Erebidae	1
7	Paleacrita vernata	Geometridae	1
8	Emmelina monodactyla	Pterophoridae	1
9	Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis	Psychidae	1
10	Peridroma saucia	Noctuidae	1

February

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Pyrrharctia isabella	Erebidae	6
2	Hypena scabra	Erebidae	5
3	Phigalia denticulata	Geometridae	5
4	Paleacrita vernata	Geometridae	2
5	Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis	Psychidae	2
6	Agonopterix alstroemeriana	Depressariidae	2
7	Scolecocampa liburna	Erebidae	2
8	Idia lubricalis	Erebidae	1
9	Iridopsis defectaria	Geometridae	1
10	Phigalia strigataria	Geometridae	1

March

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Hypena scabra	Erebidae	14
2	Psychomorpha epimenis	Noctuidae	14
3	Phoberia atomaris	Erebidae	14
4	Phigalia strigataria	Geometridae	12
5	Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis	Psychidae	12
6	Pyrrharctia isabella	Erebidae	10
7	Cissusa spadix	Erebidae	7
8	Lycia ypsilon	Geometridae	6
9	Argyrotaenia velutinana	Tortricidae	6
10	Chimoptesis pennsylvaniana	Tortricidae	5

April

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Malacosoma americana	Lasiocampidae	82
2	Luna Moth Actias luna	Saturniidae	36
3	Achatia distincta	Noctuidae	20
4	Epimecis hortaria	Geometridae	19
5	Mellilla xanthometata	Geometridae	19
6	Giant Leopard Moth Hypercompe scribonia	Erebidae	16
7	Trigrammia quadrinotaria	Geometridae	15
8	Eutrapela clemataria	Geometridae	14
9	Polyphemus Moth Antheraea polyphemus	Saturniidae	14
10	Deidamia inscriptum	Sphingidae	12

May

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Luna Moth Actias luna	Saturniidae	60
2	Malacosoma americana	Lasiocampidae	53
3	Malthaca dimidiata	Zygaenidae	40
4	Epimecis hortaria	Geometridae	34
5	Campaea perlata	Geometridae	31
6	Lacinipolia renigera	Noctuidae	28
7	Pyrrharctia isabella	Erebidae	24
8	Nadata gibbosa	Notodontidae	22
9	Polyphemus Moth Antheraea polyphemus	Saturniidae	19
10	Tortricidia testacea	Limacodidae	17

June

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Io Moth Automeris io	Saturniidae	52
2	Scopula limboundata	Geometridae	48
3	Eusarca confusaria	Geometridae	47
4	Giant Leopard Moth Hypercompe scribonia	Erebidae	41
5	Hypoprepia fucosa	Erebidae	37
6	Eudryas grata	Noctuidae	36
7	Ailanthus Webworm Moth Atteva punctella	Attevidae	36
8	Haploa lecontei	Erebidae	34
9	Luna Moth Actias luna	Saturniidae	34
10	Prochoerodes lineola	Geometridae	33

July

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Ailanthus Webworm Moth Atteva punctella	Attevidae	86
2	Haploa clymene	Erebidae	77
3	Imperial Moth Eacles imperialis	Saturniidae	72
4	Euchaetes egle	Erebidae	56
5	Epimecis hortaria	Geometridae	55
6	Virginia Creeper Sphinx Darapsa myron	Sphingidae	55
7	Luna Moth Actias luna	Saturniidae	50
8	Acrolophus popeanella	Tineidae	48
9	Eudryas grata	Noctuidae	48
10	Snowberry Clearwing Hemaris diffinis	Sphingidae	46

August

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Banded Tussock Moth Halysidota tessellaris	Erebidae	86
2	Ailanthus Webworm Moth Atteva punctella	Attevidae	85
3	Hypena scabra	Erebidae	61
4	Hyphantria cunea	Erebidae	58
5	Euchaetes egle	Erebidae	52
6	Snowberry Clearwing Hemaris diffinis	Sphingidae	50
7	Luna Moth Actias luna	Saturniidae	46
8	Scopula limboundata	Geometridae	39
9	American Dagger Moth Acronicta americana	Noctuidae	38
10	Halysidota harrisii	Erebidae	37

September

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Banded Tussock Moth Halysidota tessellaris	Erebidae	62
2	Ailanthus Webworm Moth Atteva punctella	Attevidae	60
3	Hyphantria cunea	Erebidae	55
4	White-marked Tussock Moth Orgyia leucostigma	Erebidae	38
5	Virginian Tiger Moth Spilosoma virginica	Erebidae	36
6	Cisseps fulvicollis	Erebidae	33
7	Acharia stimulea	Limacodidae	32
8	Hypena scabra	Erebidae	29
9	Halysidota harrisii	Erebidae	29
10	Pyrrharctia isabella	Erebidae	29

October

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Pyrrharctia isabella	Erebidae	57
2	Cisseps fulvicollis	Erebidae	33
3	Choephora fungorum	Noctuidae	33
4	Agnorisma badinodis	Noctuidae	24
5	Hypena scabra	Erebidae	23
6	Glenoides texanaria	Geometridae	20
7	Giant Leopard Moth Hypercompe scribonia	Erebidae	19
8	Banded Tussock Moth Halysidota tessellaris	Erebidae	18
9	Patalene olyzonaria	Geometridae	16
10	Ailanthus Webworm Moth Atteva punctella	Attevidae	16

November

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Hypena humuli	Erebidae	17
2	Pyrrharctia isabella	Erebidae	14
3	Cisseps fulvicollis	Erebidae	11
4	Scoliopteryx libatrix	Erebidae	10
5	Hypena scabra	Erebidae	6
6	Iridopsis defectaria	Geometridae	6
7	Giant Leopard Moth Hypercompe scribonia	Erebidae	6
8	Alsophila pometaria	Geometridae	5
9	Ailanthus Webworm Moth Atteva punctella	Attevidae	4
10	Agrochola bicolorago	Noctuidae	4

December

#	Species	Family	Records
1	Pyrrharctia isabella	Erebidae	8
2	Hypena scabra	Erebidae	4
3	Alsophila pometaria	Geometridae	4
4	Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis	Psychidae	4
5	Agrochola bicolorago	Noctuidae	3
6	Metaxaglaea viatica	Noctuidae	3
7	Metaxaglaea semitaria	Noctuidae	3
8	Sericaglaea signata	Noctuidae	3
9	Lithophane unimoda	Noctuidae	3
10	Lithophane querquera	Noctuidae	3

Frequently asked

What is the giant yellow moth in Kentucky?

That is the Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis), a large yellow giant silk moth marked with purple-brown. It flies in July and August and comes only to lights, since adults do not feed and live just a week or two.

Are luna moths common in Kentucky?

Yes. The Luna Moth (Actias luna) is one of Kentucky's most reliable big moths, peaking in May and continuing through midsummer. Look for its pale-green wings and long hindwing tails at UV lights.

What moths fly in Kentucky in September?

Fall nights bring tussock and tiger moths: the Banded Tussock Moth, White-marked Tussock Moth, Fall Webworm Moth, and Virginian Tiger Moth. Some tussock caterpillars have irritating hairs, so do not handle them.

Is the Virginia Creeper Sphinx harmful to plants?

Its caterpillars feed on grape and Virginia creeper but rarely cause real damage. The adult is a strong-flying nectar moth and is harmless. It is common in Kentucky in summer.

Can this site tell me what moth is on my wall?

No. It predicts likely species by location and date from open GBIF records, not from photos. 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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