Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth (Macaria pustularia) lives in deciduous forests across North America. It feeds on maple tree leaves.
Fascinating facts about the Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth
- Its white wings are crossed by wavy orange-yellow lines on both forewings and hindwings, with the lines often thickening at the top-most edge of the forewing. The adult moth measures 18-27 mm across the wingspan, and adults take to the air from May to July in southern locales and from June to August farther north, completing a single generation each year.
- The orange-yellow lines thicken along the top-most edge of the forewing, a distinctive pattern that overlays the moth's otherwise white wings on both fore and hind pairs. These adults are active during the warm months, flying between May and July in the southern part of their range and from June to August further north.
- It occupies forests from Nova Scotia to Florida, stretches west to Mississippi and reaches north into North Dakota and Saskatchewan, covering a wide swath of eastern and central North America. Within this range the moth is most common in deciduous and mixed forests, habitats that provide abundant maple trees for its larvae. The broad distribution means it can be encountered in both Atlantic coastal woodlands and interior prairie-edge forests.
- The larvae of the lesser maple spanworm feed on the leaves of maple trees, showing a strong preference for red maple (Acer rubrum). Although red maple supplies the bulk of their diet, they will also consume the foliage of sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and silver maple (Acer saccharinum) when available.
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.
At a glance
RangeNorth America
HabitatDeciduous forests
DietMaple tree leaves
About the Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth
In the whispering hours of dawn, the Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth stirs, its delicate wings unfolding like petals of a moonflower as it takes to the air. With a gentle, lilting flight, it dances across the forest, its mottled browns and tans blending seamlessly into the dappled shade, as it seeks out the tender leaves of its beloved maple trees. As it alights, its slender body sways softly, a leaf-like mimicry that belies the intricate beauty of this unassuming, yet remarkable, creature.
Hear the Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth, and 4,400+ more
Real recorded sounds, 11 nature games and a free Daily 5, 1v1 quiz duels, conservation wins and a safe Kids mode. Free on Feravox.
More insects and spiders to discover
