The types of moths in South Carolina range from palm-sized silk moths to specks that fit on a fingernail. The Butterflies and Moths of North America site records 1,217 species of butterflies and moths in the state, and moths make up the large majority.
Most fly after dark, so they often go unnoticed. Check a porch light at dawn, a patch of ragweed in late summer, or the leaf litter under an oak, and a surprising number turn up.
This list covers 30 moths, with notes on how to recognize each one, what its caterpillars eat, and where to look. For a wider view of the six-legged residents of the Palmetto State, the different types of insects overview is a good companion read.
| Moth Group | Moths in This List | Quick Field Clue |
|---|---|---|
| Silk moths | Luna | Large, pale green, long tails |
| Sphinx moths | Vine, Twin-Spotted, Achemon, Abbott’s | Heavy bodies, narrow forewings, fast flight |
| Slug moths | Yellow-Shouldered, Spun Glass, Abbreviated Button | Small, stocky, caterpillars shaped like slugs |
| Tussock moths | Yellow-Based, Sycamore, Banded | Hairy caterpillars with tufts |
| Emeralds, waves, and loopers | White-Fringed, Red-Fringed, Packard’s Wave, Saw-Wing, Woolly Gray | Wings held flat, twig-like caterpillars |
| Owlet moths | Yellow-Striped Armyworm, Tobacco Budworm, Ruby Quaker, Sad Underwing, The Laugher, Three-Lined Flower | Stout bodies, mottled forewings |
Pro Tip: Hang a white sheet near a porch light on a warm, humid night between late spring and early fall. Moths settle on the cloth, which makes photos and identification much easier.
1. Luna Moth
The luna moth (Actias luna) is the pale green silk moth most people picture first. Its wingspan can reach roughly 4.5 inches, and each hindwing ends in a long, trailing tail. Those tails are thought to confuse the sonar of hunting bats.
Adults have no working mouthparts, so they live only about a week and spend it mating and laying eggs. Caterpillars feed on sweetgum, persimmon, hickory, and walnut. South Carolina Public Radio’s Nature Notes describes a mystery moth in the Midlands that turned out to be a male luna. Hobbyists who rear cocoons often compare notes in guides to insects kept as pets.
2. Unicorn Caterpillar Moth
The unicorn caterpillar moth (Schizura unicornis) belongs to the prominent moth family. The adult is a modest, mottled gray-brown moth that rests with its wings folded tightly over its back. It is easy to overlook on tree bark.
The caterpillar is the showpiece. It carries a horn-like projection on its back, which gives the species its name. It eats the leaves of many trees and shrubs, including apple, willow, birch, and oak, so gardeners and woodland walkers can find it almost anywhere.
3. Yellow-Headed Looper Moth
The yellow-headed looper moth belongs to the looper group, a name that comes from the caterpillars. They arch their bodies into a loop and then stretch forward as they crawl, like a tiny tape measure. The yellow patch near the head gives the moth its common name.
This species is less documented than showier relatives, so careful photos matter. The Butterflies and Moths of North America team offers identification help when a photo comes with the date and location. Record both before posting an unknown moth.
4. Yellow-Striped Armyworm Moth
The yellow-striped armyworm moth (Spodoptera ornithogalli) is a mottled gray-brown owlet moth, about 1.5 inches across, with pale streaks on its forewings. Its caterpillars feed on a long list of crops and garden plants, including cotton, tomato, and beans. Gardeners often meet the larvae before they ever see the adult.
Clemson Extension notes that armyworm activity in South Carolina typically peaks during the summer months. Its armyworm fact sheet says larvae can be recognized by an inverted “Y” on the head. Other leaf-chewers, such as the grasshoppers of South Carolina, can cause similar damage.
5. Yellow-Shouldered Slug Moth
The yellow-shouldered slug moth (Lithacodes fasciola) is a small member of the Limacodidae family. The adult is a stocky, yellow-toned moth with a pale band across the forewing. It flies in the warm months and comes to lights.
Slug moth caterpillars look like flattened, legless blobs and glide over leaves. A relative, the stinging rose caterpillar (Parasa indetermina), has a way of catching attention, according to the South Carolina Native Plant Society. Look at slug caterpillars without touching them.
6. Yucca Moth
The yucca moth (Tegeticula yuccasella) is a small white moth with a wingspan of roughly an inch. It has one of the most famous partnerships in the insect world. The female gathers pollen from a yucca flower, carries it to another bloom, and packs it onto the stigma while laying eggs in the ovary.
The yucca depends on the moth for pollination, and the moth’s larvae feed on a few of the developing seeds. Adam’s needle (Yucca filamentosa) grows wild and in gardens across South Carolina. Check its flower stalks in late spring and early summer, and compare what you see with other pollinators in the bees of South Carolina.
7. Zebra Conchylodes Moth
The zebra conchylodes moth (Conchylodes ovulalis) is a crambid moth with bold white wings crossed by thin, jagged black lines. The pattern looks like zebra stripes, hence the name. The wingspan is around an inch.
It is a southern and subtropical species, so it is most likely to appear in warm, humid areas near the coast. It rests with its wings spread flat and comes to lights in summer and fall.
8. Woolly Gray Moth
The woolly gray moth (Lycia ypsilon) is a geometer that flies while most moths are still dormant. Adults appear in late winter and early spring. Males have a fuzzy gray body and feathery antennae, while females have greatly shortened wings and do not fly.
The gray, bark-like coloring makes it nearly invisible on tree trunks. Look for males at porch lights on mild early-spring nights. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of various trees and shrubs.
9. Yellow-Based Tussock Moth
The yellow-based tussock moth (Dasychira basiflava) is a gray, furry moth with a yellowish tint near the base of the forewing. It rests with its front legs stretched forward, a habit common in tussock moths. Its wingspan is roughly 1.5 inches.
The hairy caterpillars feed on oaks and a few other hardwoods. Oak leaves also support many beetles in South Carolina, so a single tree can host a surprising range of insects.
10. White-Fringed Emerald Moth
The white-fringed emerald moth (Nemoria mimosaria) is a delicate green geometer with a white fringe along the wing edges. The wingspan is about an inch. The green color fades to a pale gray-green in older specimens.
Its caterpillars are twig mimics that hold themselves rigid and angled on a branch, which helps them avoid hungry birds. Those are the same predators that visit feeders, as in the finches of South Carolina. Look for adults at lights in warm months.
11. White Flannel Moth
The white flannel moth (Norape ovina) is a fuzzy white moth, roughly 1.5 inches across, that looks as though it has been wrapped in flannel. It rests with its wings tented over a furry body. The soft appearance is deceptive.
Flannel moths are related to the puss moth caterpillar. Clemson Extension’s stinging caterpillar guide says puss caterpillars look soft and fluffy, but they should not be touched because their stings can be extremely painful. Treat any furry caterpillar in the garden with the same caution.
Common Mistake: Picking up a hairy caterpillar to get a closer look. Some of South Carolina’s most striking larvae carry stinging spines hidden under soft-looking hair. Photograph them from a few inches away.
12. Vine Sphinx Moth
The vine sphinx moth (Eumorpha vitis) is a large sphinx moth with olive-brown forewings and pinkish markings. Its range runs through the tropics and subtropics and reaches the southeastern United States. In South Carolina it is best treated as a southern visitor rather than a common backyard moth.
The caterpillars feed on plants in the grape family, as the name suggests. Look for adults hovering at tubular flowers around dusk.
Important Note: Moth lists vary between websites and databases, and some species sit at the edge of their range in South Carolina. Treat any list, including this one, as a starting point and confirm unusual finds with a dated photo.
13. Spun Glass Slug Moth
The spun glass slug moth (Isa textula) is best known as a caterpillar. The larva is translucent green and fringed with delicate, glassy spines, like a piece of spun sugar. It feeds on oak, maple, and other hardwood leaves.
The adult is a small, tan-yellow moth that is easy to miss. Slug moth caterpillars as a group may have stinging spines, so look closely at leaf undersides without handling them.
14. Sycamore Tussock Moth
The sycamore tussock moth (Halysidota harrisii) is an arctiine moth with tan and cream forewings. The caterpillar is more eye-catching, with long black and white hair tufts on a pale body. It feeds mostly on sycamore, which grows along South Carolina’s rivers and streams.
Walk the edge of a creek in late summer and check the lower leaves. Tussock caterpillars can irritate skin, and not every tussock-type moth in the Southeast is native. Clemson notes that the invasive spongy moth is rare in South Carolina but common in parts of North Carolina and Tennessee. The invasive insects in South Carolina list covers other newcomers.
15. Tobacco Budworm Moth
The tobacco budworm moth (Chloridea virescens) is a small noctuid with olive-tan forewings crossed by pale bands. The wingspan is about 1.25 inches. The moth is a familiar name in farm country because its caterpillars eat the buds, flowers, and bolls of tobacco and cotton.
Natural enemies keep numbers down in some fields. Predators including ants take eggs and young larvae, so healthy field margins help.
16. Twin-Spotted Sphinx Moth
The twin-spotted sphinx moth (Smerinthus jamaicensis) hides a surprise. At rest it looks like a dead leaf. When disturbed, it flashes a pair of blue-centered eyespots on its pink-tinged hindwings, which can startle a bird long enough to escape.
The wingspan is roughly 2 to 3 inches. Caterpillars feed on cherry, willow, birch, and poplar. The species ranges far to the north, a pattern that shows up in the insects of Canada.
17. Achemon Sphinx Moth
The achemon sphinx moth (Eumorpha achemon) is a large, brown, camouflaged moth with dark patches on the forewings and pink hindwings. The wingspan runs about 3 to 4 inches. It is a strong flier that visits flowers at dusk.
Caterpillars feed on grape and Virginia creeper, which means a wild grapevine at the edge of a yard can host them. Larvae come in green and brown forms and have a small, curved “horn” at the tail end.
18. Abbott’s Sphinx Moth
Abbott’s sphinx moth (Sphecodina abbottii) is a brown sphinx with scalloped wing edges and a flash of yellow on the hindwings. It looks like a clump of dead leaves when resting. The wingspan is about 2 to 3 inches.
Adults fly early in the season and feed at flowers at dusk with a rapid, hovering flight. The caterpillars eat grape and Virginia creeper. The moth’s range reaches well north, so it also appears in guides to the insects of Ohio.
19. Abbreviated Button Slug Moth
The abbreviated button slug moth (Tortricidia flexuosa) is a tiny brown moth, usually under an inch across, with a pale tan patch on each forewing. It looks like a small button or bird dropping when resting. That camouflage is helpful in daylight.
The caterpillars are flat and slug-like and feed on the leaves of beech, birch, cherry, maple, and oak. They are easy to miss without a close look under the leaves.
20. Banded Tussock Moth
The banded tussock moth (Halysidota tessellaris) is also called the pale tiger moth. Bird Watching HQ describes a wingspan of 1.57 to 1.77 inches and yellow-tan to cream wings with a checkered pattern. The body has a wide pale orange stripe with a thinner turquoise stripe on each side.
The caterpillars are hairy and feed on a range of trees, including alder, birch, and oak. Adults come to porch lights in summer. Their checkered wings make them one of the easier tussock moths to recognize.
21. Ruby Quaker Moth
The ruby quaker moth (Orthosia rubescens) is a noctuid with reddish-brown, mottled forewings. The wingspan is around 1.5 inches. It is one of the “quaker” moths, a group that tends to appear in the cooler parts of the year.
Adults come to lights in late winter and early spring, when few other moths are flying. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of trees and shrubs.
22. Packard’s Wave Moth
Packard’s wave moth (Cyclophora packardi) is a small geometer with pale yellowish wings crossed by thin, wavy lines and a few small dark spots. It rests with its wings flat against the surface, as geometers do. The wingspan is well under 1.5 inches.
It is easy to mistake for other small wave moths. A close photo of the wing lines and spots, plus the date and county, is the best way to confirm an identification.
23. Pale-Winged Crocidophora Moth
The pale-winged crocidophora moth (Crocidophora tuberculalis) is a crambid moth with pale, straw-colored wings and faint brownish lines. It has the narrow, slightly angular shape of a snout moth. The wingspan is a little over an inch.
It flies in wooded areas and comes to lights in summer. Its pale color makes it stand out on dark leaves and a sheet.
24. Plume Moth
The plume moth (Hellinsia homodactyla) is among the oddest-looking moths in the state. Its narrow wings are split into feathery lobes, and it holds them straight out to the sides at rest, forming a tiny “T”. The tan body is long and slender, with spindly legs.
Plume moths are found across much of North America, and readers comparing regions can also browse the insects of New York. They often rest on porch walls and window screens in the evening.
25. Red-Fringed Emerald Moth
The red-fringed emerald moth (Nemoria bistriaria) is a small green geometer with a reddish fringe and thin pale lines. The wingspan is about an inch. Fresh moths are a bright, clean green.
The caterpillars feed on oaks and other trees. They change appearance between broods, with spring larvae resembling catkins and later ones resembling twigs. Adults come to lights from spring through summer.
26. Sad Underwing Moth
The sad underwing moth (Catocala maestosa) belongs to the large genus of underwing moths. Their forewings are patterned like bark, which makes them nearly invisible on a tree trunk. When startled, they flash banded hindwings.
The caterpillars feed on the leaves of hardwood trees. Adults feed on tree sap and fermenting fruit, so a bait of overripe banana and brown sugar painted on a trunk can draw them in. Nocturnal predators such as frogs and bats also hunt around lights.
27. Saw-Wing Moth
The saw-wing moth (Euchlaena serrata) is a pale yellow-tan geometer with brown flecks and wing edges that are angled and notched like a saw blade. The wingspan is about 1.5 inches. At rest it looks like a dry leaf.
The caterpillar is a twig mimic and feeds on the leaves of various woody plants. Adults come to lights in the warmer months, and the notched wing outline makes them stand out from smoother-winged geometers.
28. The Laugher Moth
The laugher moth (Charadra deridens) is a pale gray owlet moth with black markings. The wingspan is about 1.6 to 2 inches. The bold black lines on its forewings give it a quirky, almost cartoonish look, which accounts for the name.
The caterpillars feed on oak, beech, and hickory leaves. Adults fly in spring and early summer and come to lights in wooded areas.
29. Three-Lined Flower Moth
The three-lined flower moth (Schinia trifascia) is a small noctuid, about an inch across, with pale wings and three pinkish-brown bands. Flower moths are named for how closely they match the blooms they use. This one blends into its host plant.
The caterpillars feed on the flowers and seeds of ragweed. Look for adults on ragweed in late summer and fall, when the plant blooms. They are active at dusk and stay close to the flowers.
30. Ironweed Root Moth
The ironweed root moth is a small moth whose caterpillars bore into the roots of ironweed (Vernonia species), a tall native with purple flower clusters. Ironweed grows in South Carolina meadows and along roadsides, and it blooms in late summer. Look for the moth near those patches, usually at dusk and after dark.
Few moths are as closely tied to one plant genus. That is why native plantings matter for the full range of types of moths in South Carolina, from giant silk moths to root borers no bigger than a thumbnail.