Moths in Ohio

In Ohio, the moths you are most likely to find on a warm night shift dramatically with the season. In late spring, the big silk moths take over: the pale green, long-tailed Luna Moth (Actias luna) and the heavy-bodied Polyphemus Moth (Antheraea polyphemus) are among the most-recorded species in May, alongside the Eastern Tent Caterpillar moth (Malacosoma americana). By June, Ohio's tiger and silk moths peak, with the Io Moth (Automeris io), the bold black-and-white Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia), and the iridescent Virginia Ctenucha (Ctenucha virginica) all flying. High summer belongs to the orange-and-black Ailanthus Webworm Moth (Atteva punctella), which is far and away Ohio's most-recorded moth in July and August, joined by the Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) and day-flying Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris thysbe). Then fall flips the script: the fuzzy Isabella Tiger Moth (Pyrrharctia isabella) - whose caterpillar is the famous "woolly bear" - dominates October records before the cold shuts the season down. These are the most-recorded species from open GBIF data over an approximate Ohio area, not an exhaustive list, but they are a reliable picture of what is actually out there.

Which charismatic moths can you actually see in Ohio?

Ohio is squarely in the range of the big, showy moths that get people hooked on mothing, and the records bear that out. The state's giant silk moths (Saturniidae) show up across the spring and summer data: the Luna Moth (Actias luna), Polyphemus Moth (Antheraea polyphemus), Io Moth (Automeris io), Cecropia Moth (Hyalophora cecropia), Promethea Moth (Callosamia promethea), and the Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis). None of these are guaranteed on a given night - silk moths are short-lived as adults and don't feed - but Ohio's mixed hardwood forests support all of them.

The sphinx and hawkmoth crowd is here too. July records feature the Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris thysbe) and Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis), two day-flying bumblebee mimics you'll often see hovering at flowers, plus the Virginia Creeper Sphinx (Darapsa myron). Earlier, in May, the Lettered Sphinx (Deidamia inscriptum) is one of the more common spring hawkmoths.

Ohio is especially rich in tiger moths (the Arctiinae). Beyond the Giant Leopard Moth and Virginia Ctenucha, the data is full of tussock and tiger species: Hickory Tussock Moth (Lophocampa caryae), Banded Tussock Moth (Halysidota tessellaris), Virginian Tiger Moth (Spilosoma virginica), and of course the Isabella Tiger Moth (Pyrrharctia isabella), Ohio's woolly bear.

How does the lineup change from spring to fall?

The seasonal turnover in Ohio is one of the most useful things the records show.

Late winter and early spring (February to March) are dominated by hardy geometrid "spring moths" that fly while nights are still cold. March records are led by Phigalia strigataria and the Spring Cankerworm moth (Paleacrita vernata), with Phigalia denticulata close behind - drab gray moths most people walk right past, but they are the first real movers of the year.

April brings a burst of color and activity. The striking day-flying Eight-spotted Forester (Psychomorpha epimenis) tops the April list, the Eastern Tent Caterpillar moth (Malacosoma americana) surges, and the first Luna Moths of the year appear. This is the transition point where Ohio mothing really begins.

May and June are the silk-moth and tiger-moth high season. May is led by Eastern Tent and Luna, with Polyphemus and the Hickory Tussock Moth prominent. June is one of the busiest months overall: the Large Lace-border (Scopula limboundata), Hickory Tussock, Virginia Ctenucha, and Io Moth are all among the top records, and the Giant Leopard Moth is at its most-recorded.

July and August look very different. This is when the Ailanthus Webworm Moth (Atteva punctella) absolutely takes over - it is Ohio's single most-recorded moth in both months by a wide margin. August adds the Milkweed Tussock (Euchaetes egle), Banded Tussock Moth, Fall Webworm (Hyphantria cunea), and Virginian Tiger Moth. The Imperial Moth and clearwing sphinxes are July highlights.

September keeps the tiger and tussock theme going - Hickory Tussock, Banded Tussock, Fall Webworm, and the White-marked Tussock Moth (Orgyia leucostigma) - while October flips hard to the Isabella Tiger Moth, whose woolly bear caterpillars are crossing roads everywhere; it's recorded nearly four times as often as anything else that month.

November and December are quiet. Records thin out to cold-tolerant species like the late-fall woolly bears, the Herald moth (Scoliopteryx libatrix), and true winter moths such as Bruce Spanworm (Operophtera bruceata) and Fall Cankerworm (Alsophila pometaria), which fly in near-freezing temperatures.

Are these all the moths in Ohio?

No - and that's worth being clear about. This list reflects the most-recorded moth species in open-licensed GBIF records (CC0 and CC-BY) aggregated over an approximate Ohio bounding box, with butterflies excluded. It skews toward moths that are large, common, attracted to lights, or easy to photograph and report. Ohio has well over a thousand moth species; many small or secretive ones are under-recorded here even when they're common. So treat this as a high-confidence picture of what is likely flying, not a complete checklist.

We're a forecast and discovery tool, not an identifier. If you photograph a moth and want help putting a name on it, iNaturalist and the Moth Photographers Group / BugGuide community are the right places for confirmation.

How do I get tonight's personalized Ohio list?

The species above are the statewide pattern. To get a list tuned to your exact spot and date, enter your location and "Tonight's Moths" pulls the most-recorded species for your local grid cell and the current month, then layers on a "good mothing night" score built from tonight's weather and the moon. Warm, humid, still nights with little moonlight tend to score best - those are when moths move most and a lit sheet pulls in the widest variety. Check it before you head out and you'll know both what to look for and whether tonight is worth setting up the light.