Dayton Insects

EMERALD MOTHS & Bad-Wing Moth

Wavy-lined Emerald moth. These moths are very common in our area.

Wavy-lined Emerald moths have several generations. I find them every month from May through November. (My latest sighting is November 5th.)

Blackberry Looper moth. I have found these moths from April through September. The lines on their wings are straighter than the lines on a Wavy-lined Emerald. Also, note that the AM line does not continue on the hindwings as it would in a Wavy-lined Emerald (above).

Another Blackberry Looper. You can see how tiny this moth is by comparing it to the clover leaf.

Red-fringed Emerald moth. Notice the red and white dots on the front of its abdomen, and the tiny red stitches along the bottom edge of the wings.

Red-fringed Emerald, hiding under a leaf. Photographed in the Hocking Hills area (eastern Ohio) in April 2016.

This is the brown form of the Red-fringed Emerald. This species has both green and tan forms. Photographed at Hocking Hills.

The Bad-wing Moth. This species was named by early moth collectors who had difficulty spreading the wings of deceased specimens. Bad-wing Moths are similar to emerald moths, but their wings are more elongated.

Another Wavy-lined Emerald moth at my UV lights. (And who said that moths were not as beautiful as butterflies?)

Showy Emerald moth, attracted with UV light on August 1, 2021. This is the only Showy Emerald I have found at my home lights. The caterpillars eat poison ivy and sumacs, and there are plenty of both around my house, so you would think I would see this species more often!

Red-fringed Emerald moth. I find this species every month from April through August.