Moths Flying in West Virginia Tonight

West Virginia's summer nights bring out the imperial moth (Eacles imperialis), the day-and-dusk hummingbird clearwing (Hemaris thysbe), and the common ailanthus webworm moth (Atteva punctella), alongside the invasive spongy moth (Lymantria dispar). In May you'll mostly see eastern tent caterpillar moths (Malacosoma americana) and pale beauties (Campaea perlata), while September shifts to fuzzy tussock and tiger moths like the banded tussock (Halysidota tessellaris), hickory tussock (Lophocampa caryae), and Isabella tiger moth (Pyrrharctia isabella). Exactly what's on the wing depends on your county and the date, so check the live tool for tonight's likely lineup.

What's flying right now

West Virginia sits in the southern Appalachians, so its moth fauna leans hardwood-forest. The mix you'll meet at a porch light changes a lot between late spring and early fall.

Midsummer (July) is the showpiece. This is when the imperial moth (Eacles imperialis) appears, a big yellow-and-purple giant silk moth. Like all giant silk moths, adult imperials have no working mouthparts and never feed; they live only a week or two to mate, so a fresh one at your light is a brief event. The fast-flying hummingbird clearwing (Hemaris thysbe) is also out, though you may spot it by day hovering at flowers like a tiny hummingbird since it actually does nectar as an adult. Rounding out July: the invasive spongy moth (Lymantria dispar), the small day-active ailanthus webworm moth (Atteva punctella), the lace-bordered geometrid Scopula limboundata, and the clymene moth (Haploa clymene).

Late spring (May) is quieter and more about tent-makers and geometrids: eastern tent caterpillar moths (Malacosoma americana) whose silk tents you'll see in cherry and apple forks, plus the frosty-green pale beauty (Campaea perlata) and the lichen-mimic Macrochilo morbidalis. Spongy moth turns up here too.

Early fall (September) is tussock season. The banded tussock moth (Halysidota tessellaris), hickory tussock moth (Lophocampa caryae), and Isabella tiger moth (Pyrrharctia isabella, the adult of the famous woolly bear) dominate, along with the Virginian tiger moth (Spilosoma virginica). A handling note: hickory tussock caterpillars have irritating hairs, so admire them but don't pick them up.

Tips for mothing in West Virginia

• Hang a white sheet and a UV or mercury-vapor light at a forest edge. Moths come to short-wavelength light far more than to white LED. The leading explanation is that artificial light scrambles their flight orientation, not that they are chasing it.
• Warm, humid, still, moonless nights are best. Check the good-night-for-moths guide before you set up.
• New to this? Start with mothing for beginners.
• This site predicts likely species from open GBIF records by date and location; it does not ID a moth from a photo. For photo ID use iNaturalist or BugGuide.

See tonight's West Virginia forecast

Run the live tool for tonight's predicted species and a good-mothing-night score for your spot, or browse the full state index. Planning ahead? National Moth Week runs July 18-26, 2026, right in West Virginia's peak season. Neighbors can also compare with Virginia.