Bug FAQBrown-spotted Zale Moth
Zale helata · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Brown-spotted Zale
The brown-spotted zale is a noctuid moth with a wingspan of about 35 to 41 mm. It lives in barrens and pine woodlands across a range from Manitoba to Maine and south to northern Alabama and Texas, and adults fly in May and June.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The brown-spotted zale belongs to the family Noctuidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan is roughly 35 to 41 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There is one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from May to June.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range covers areas from Manitoba east to Maine and south to northern Alabama and Texas in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 31 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, New Jersey, Michigan, Maine, North Carolina, New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Where do brown-spotted zale moths live?
They inhabit barrens and pine woodlands across a range from Manitoba to Maine and south to northern Alabama and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Erebidae)
Spongy MothLymantria disparDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Webworm MothHyphantria cuneaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Brown-tail MothEuproctis chrysorrhoeaCan irritate skin
Isabella Tiger MothPyrrharctia isabella
Virginian Tiger MothSpilosoma virginicaCan irritate skin
Salt Marsh MothEstigmene acreaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zale_helata
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.