Bug FAQLarge Necklace Moth
Hypsoropha monilis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
The Large Necklace Moth has brown wings with a distinctive white necklace-like band of spots across the middle. It lives across the southern United States from Texas and Kansas eastward to Florida and Maryland, and adults are most often seen from March through May.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Adults show brown fore- and hindwings marked by a post-medial row of white spots that meet at the inner edge, forming a necklace pattern. The species name monilis means “necklace” in Latin, referring to that spot band.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults have been recorded from February through October, with most sightings occurring between March and May.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adult moths are most commonly observed from March to May, though they can appear as early as February and as late as October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 21 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What does the “necklace” marking look like?
The moth’s brown wings have a row of white spots across the middle that meet at the inner edge, forming a necklace-like band.
Source: Wikipedia
When are adult Large Necklace Moths active?
Adults are most often seen from March through May, but can be found from February to October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the Large Necklace Moth found in the United States?
Its range extends from Texas and Kansas eastward to Florida and Maryland.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I tell the Large Necklace Moth apart from similar species?
It is larger than the Small Necklace Moth and shares a similar white-spot necklace pattern, but the two species overlap in range.
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/Hypsoropha_monilis
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.