Moths in South Dakota: What's Flying Tonight

In South Dakota, the moths flying right now in midsummer include the day-flying Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis), the fast White-lined Sphinx (Hyles lineata), and several flower moths such as Schinia simplex and Schinia gaurae, alongside the common Chickweed Geometer (Haematopis grataria). Spring nights lean toward inchworm and prominent moths like Anavitrinella pampinaria and Gluphisia septentrionis, while fall brings worn migrants and cutworms such as the Variegated Cutworm (Peridroma saucia). Run your location and date through the live tool to see tonight's best candidates and a mothing-night score.

What's flying in South Dakota right now

South Dakota straddles tallgrass prairie and the western shortgrass plains, so the moth list shifts with the seasons more than in the wooded East. In July, the lights here pull in strong-flying sphinx moths and prairie flower moths. The Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis) is a clear-winged, bumblebee-mimic hawk moth that hovers at flowers by day, so you may meet it before dusk. After dark, the White-lined Sphinx (Hyles lineata) is the big draw, a powerful nectar feeder that swarms summer blossoms. You will also see the little pink-and-yellow Chickweed Geometer (Haematopis grataria), the flower moths Schinia simplex and Schinia gaurae, the gray bark-mimic Anavitrinella pampinaria, and the Black Cutworm (Agrotis ipsilon).

Spring vs late-summer moths

The May list looks quite different. Early in the season you are more likely to find the carpet-and-bark geometers like Anavitrinella pampinaria, the oak-feeding Besma quercivoraria, the prominent moth Gluphisia septentrionis, the Eastern Tent Caterpillar Moth (Malacosoma americana), and the famous Peppered Moth (Biston betularia). By September, the cast turns over to migrants and noctuids: Green Cloverworm (Hypena scabra), the Large Maple Spanworm (Prochoerodes lineola), the Variegated Cutworm (Peridroma saucia), the Soybean Looper (Chrysodeixis includens), and the Celery Leaftier (Udea rubigalis). If you want the headline difference: July is sphinx-and-flower-moth season, while September is cutworm-and-migrant season.

Local mothing tips

• South Dakota nights cool fast, so the best mothing is on warm, still, overcast evenings. See what makes a good night for moths.
• A UV or mercury-vapor light over a white sheet far out-pulls a white LED porch bulb. Moths come to short-wavelength light because it disrupts their flight orientation, not because they are seeking it out.
• Prairie flower moths in the genus Schinia are often tied to specific host blooms, so a patch of native wildflowers near your sheet helps.
• New to this? Start with mothing for beginners.

See tonight's South Dakota moths

This site does not identify a moth from a photo. It predicts the species most likely flying at your spot tonight from open GBIF records. Run the live tool for your South Dakota location, browse the full state index, or compare with a neighbor like North Dakota. Planning ahead? National Moth Week runs July 18 to 26, 2026.