LARGE TOLYPE, Small Tolype, and DOT-LINED WHITE
This Large Tolype moth just might win the prize for the cutest, fuzziest moth ever!
Large Tolype moth. This is one of my favorite fall moths.
Dot-lined White Moth. This species is closely related to the Tolype moths.
Dot-lined White Moths have at least two broods in our area. I find them in June and early July, and also in October and November.
This is another Large Tolype moth. Note that there are two very similar species: the Small Tolype (discussed below) and the Larch Tolype. Of the three species, the Large Tolype is by far the most common is our area. (The Larch Tolype feeds on various conifer trees and is more to be expected in northern or eastern Ohio.)
Dot-lined White Moth. I love those long fuzzy legs!
I find Large Tolypes at my lights in late September and early October.
Large Tolype moths are fairly tame and easy to handle. They often curl up and play dead when disturbed.
This is a Small Tolype moth. They are smaller in size than Large Tolypes, and note that the lines are much wavier and pinched than in the Large Tolype above.
Another Small Tolype moth, verified by measurement. I believe this one is a male and the one above is a female. These two Small Tolype moths came to my lights on June 19 and June 22, 2024. These are my only sightings of the species. Most Small Tolype records are from states to our south. They are apparently uncommon in Ohio.