PANOPODA MOTHS, VELVETBEAN CATERPILLAR MOTH, MOON-LINED MOTH, BLACK BIT MOTH, and MOCIS MOTHS
This is another Velvetbean Caterpillar moth. Some individuals have dark spots on the hindwings. I found five of these moths on the morning of September 27, 2016, including the individuals above and at left.
Velvetbean Caterpillar moth. This species is an uncommon immigrant to Ohio. They overwinter in Central America and extreme southern Florida, and they migrate north every year but do not always make it as far north as Ohio. Look for them to show up in years when we are having unusually warm autumn weather.
Red-lined Panopoda moth, attracted with UV lights on August 27, 2016. This species and the others on this page resemble geometer moths, but they are actually owlet moths.
Moon-lined Moth, photographed at my moth lights on August 29, 2020. These are fairly large moths (their wingspan can be over 5 cm).
Another Red-lined Panopoda moth, found on July 6, 2019. Some individuals have dark spots on the wings.
This Velvetbean Caterpillar moth was found at Cox Arboretum on October 24, 2020. All of my sightings of this species are in September and October. These moths usually show up in Ohio just in time to get zapped by the first hard frost.
This is a Brown Panopoda moth, closely related to the species above. I have found a couple of individuals from June through August.
Moon-lined Moths feed on honey locust trees. I have found several Moon-lined Moths at my moth lights from June through August.
Black Bit Moth. I have only found two individuals of this species: one at Germantown MetroPark on May 19, 2021 and one at my home moth lights on May 24, 2023.
Texas Mocis Moth. I have found several of these between the months of May through September. They do not visit my lights very often, but I flush them from the grass occasionally while hiking.
Small Mocis Moth, photographed at Cox Arboretum on September 19, 2015. My only sighting of this species.