Moths in Tennessee: What's Flying Tonight

Tennessee's summer nights bring some of the region's showiest moths, including the green, long-tailed Luna Moth (Actias luna) and the big yellow-and-purple Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis), along with the Tulip-tree Beauty (Epimecis hortaria) and the abundant Ailanthus Webworm Moth (Atteva punctella). By fall the giants fade and tussock and tiger moths take over, like the Banded Tussock Moth (Halysidota tessellaris) and the American Dagger Moth (Acronicta americana). Drop your location and date into the live tool to see which moths are most likely flying at your spot tonight.

What's flying in Tennessee right now

From the Smokies to the western lowlands, Tennessee is rich moth country, and July is the headline month for giant silk moths. The Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) is a large saturniid in soft yellow with purple-brown blotches, and the Luna Moth (Actias luna) is the pale green one with long sweeping hindwing tails thought to confuse hunting bats. Like all giant silk moths, adults of both have no working mouthparts and do not eat. They live only about a week or two to mate, so a fresh Luna or Imperial at your light is a brief window. Sharing the sheet are the bark-mimic Tulip-tree Beauty (Epimecis hortaria), the Beautiful Wood-nymph (Eudryas grata), the slug-caterpillar moth Lithacodes fasciola, and the ever-present Ailanthus Webworm Moth (Atteva punctella), a small day-active moth tied to tree-of-heaven.

Spring vs fall moths

In May, the giants are just getting going, with Luna Moth (Actias luna) already on the wing alongside the Eastern Tent Caterpillar Moth (Malacosoma americana), the Tulip-tree Beauty (Epimecis hortaria), the tiny grass-veneer Microcrambus elegans, and Malthaca dimidiata. By September, the saturniids have mostly finished and the tussock and tiger moths step in: the Banded Tussock Moth (Halysidota tessellaris), the Fall Webworm Moth (Hyphantria cunea), the Virginian Tiger Moth (Spilosoma virginica), the American Dagger Moth (Acronicta americana), and the Ailanthus Webworm again. A note for the curious: the American Dagger and several tussock caterpillars have irritating hairs, so look but do not handle.

Local mothing tips

• Warm, humid, overcast Tennessee nights with little moonlight are best. See what makes a good night for moths.
• A UV or mercury-vapor light over a white sheet beats a plain LED porch bulb by a wide margin.
• For the green stars of summer, read up on Luna moth season. The Luna's hosts include hickory, walnut, sweetgum, and persimmon, all common in Tennessee woods.
• Just getting started? Try mothing for beginners.

See tonight's Tennessee moths

This site does not ID a moth from a photo. It predicts the species most likely flying at your location tonight from open GBIF records. Run the live tool for your spot in Tennessee, see the full state index, or read about the Luna moth. National Moth Week is July 18 to 26, 2026.