Moths in Tennessee
Be it the green beauty, luna moth, tan-colored polyphemus moth, spotted leopard moth, or the pink-striped pandora sphinx moth – Tennessee has all of them.
On the flip side, some of the moths inhabiting here are known to be invasive pests, causing immense destruction. The most prominent in the list is the gypsy moth, several damaging forests. A few of them even dwell indoors infesting food products and fabrics, the Mediterranean flour moth, Indianmeal moth, and common clothes moth, to name a few.
Large Moths : Polyphemus Moth, Luna Moth,Cecropia Moth, Colorful Zale Moth
Here is the list of moths found in Tennessee arranged in order of the family they belong.
Erebidae Moths
- Gypsy Moth (Lymantria dispar)
- Milkweed Tussock Moth (Euchaetes egle)
- Harnessed Tiger Moth (Apantesis phalerata)
- Virginian Tiger Moth (Spilosoma virginica)
- Colorful Zale Moth (Zale minerea)
- Dead-wood Borer Moth (Scolecocampa liburna)
- White-marked Tussock Moth (Orgyia leucostigma)
- The Betrothed Moth (Catocala innubens)
- Ilia Underwing Moth (Catocala ilia)
- Forage Looper Moth (Caenurgina erechtea)
- Sappho Underwing Moth (Catocala sappho)
- Baltimore Bomolocha Moth (Hypena baltimoralis)
- Yellow-dotted Renia Moth (Renia flavipunctalis)
- Little White Lichen Moth (Clemensia albata)
- Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia)
- Ambiguous Moth (Lascoria ambigualis)
Saturniidae Moths
- Luna Moth (Actias luna)
- Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis)
- Orange-tipped Oakworm Moth (Anisota senatoria)
- Rosy Maple Moth (Dryocampa rubicunda)
- Pink-striped Oakworm Moth (Anisota virginiensis)
- Polyphemus Moth (Antheraea polyphemus)
- Regal Moth (Citheronia regalis)
- Cecropia Moth (Hyalophora cecropia)
- Tulip-tree Beauty Moth (Epimecis hortaria)
Owlet Moths
- Soybean Looper Moth (Chrysodeixis includens)
- Yellow-striped Owlet Moth (Spodoptera ornithogalli)
- Spotted Phosphila Moth (Phosphila miselioides)
- Gray Half-spot Moth (Nedra ramosula)
- Sheathed Quaker Moth (Ulolonche culea)
- Variegated Midget Moth (Elaphria versicolor)
Geometer Moths
- Large lace-border Moth (Scopula limboundata)
- Diminutive Wave Moth (Idaea scintillularia)
- Three-spotted Fillip Moth (Heterophleps triguttaria)
- Blackberry Looper Moth (Chlorochlamys chloroleucaria)
- White-striped Black Moth (Trichodezia albovittata)
- Common Tan Wave Moth (Pleuroprucha insulsaria)
- Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth (Speranza pustularia)
- Large Maple Spanworm Moth (Prochoerodes lineola)
- Bent-line Carpet Moth (Costaconvexa centrostrigaria)
- White Spring Moth (Lomographa vestaliata)
- Filament Bearer Moth (Nematocampa resistaria)
- Juniper-twig Geometer (Patalene olyzonaria)
- Common Angle Moth (Macaria aemulataria)
- Bicolored Angle Moth (Macaria bicolorata)
- One-spotted Variant Moth (Hypagyrtis unipunctata)
- Hübner’s Pero Moth (Pero ancetaria)
- Black-dotted Rudy Moth (Ilexia intractata)
- Kent’s Thorn Moth (Selenia kentaria)
Hawk Moths
- Virginia Creeper Sphinx Moth (Darapsa myron)
- Huckleberry Sphinx Moth (Paonias astylus)
- Pandora Sphinx Moth (Eumorpha pandorus)
- Snowberry Clearwing Moth (Hemaris diffinis)
- Hermit Sphinx Moth (Lintneria eremitus)
- Canadian Sphinx Moth (Sphinx canadensis)
- Carolina Sphinx Moth (Manduca sexta)
- Nessus Sphinx Moth (Amphion floridensis)
Snout Moths
- Mediterranean Flour Moths (Ephestia kuehniella)
- Indianmeal Moth (Plodia interpunctella)
- Oak Gall Snout Moth (Oneida lunulalis)
- Asimina Webworm Moth (Omphalocera munroei)
- Dimorphic Tosale Moth (Tosale oviplagalis)
Clothes Moths
- Common Clothes Moth (Tineola bisselliella)
- Casemaking Clothes Moth (Tinea pellionella)
Crambid Snout Moths
- Melonworm Moth (Diaphania hyalinata)
- Bluegrass Webworm Moth (Parapediasia teterrella)
- Elegant Grass-veneer Moth (Microcrambus elegans)
- Zebra Conchylodes Moth (Conchylodes ovulalis)
- Splendid Palpita Snout Moth (Palpita magniferalis)
- Grape Leaffolder Moth (Desmia funeralis)
- Obscure Psara Moth (Psara obscuralis)
- Striped Eudonia Moth (Eudonia strigalis)
Cup Moths
- Yellow-shouldered Slug Moth (Lithacodes fasciola)
Clearwing Moths
- Grape Root Borer Moth (Vitacea polistiformis)
Prominent Moths
- Spotted Datana Moth (Datana perspicua)
- Pink Prominent Moth (Hyparpax aurora)
