Bug FAQMorbid Owlet
Macrochilo morbidalis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
The morbid owlet moth has a wingspan of about 29 to 35 mm and pale grayish-white forewings with diffuse brownish or orangish lines, while the hindwings are even paler with faint gray veins. Larvae feed on leaves of many deciduous trees and have been raised on dandelion, grass, hazel, lettuce, and even dead oak leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Hindwings are paler with faint grayish veins.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 29 to 35 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Found in deciduous woods and at their edges.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
They are also recorded on dead leaves, including dried white oak leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There appears to be one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active from May through August.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It may be confused with the moth Chytolita morbidalis, also called the morbid owlet, described by Guenée in 1854.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 42 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Connecticut, Virginia, North Carolina.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do morbid owlet caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on leaves of many deciduous trees and have been raised on dandelion, grass, hazel, lettuce, and dead oak leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the morbid owlet found?
It occurs across most of North America, from the northern coasts down to North Carolina, Texas and Florida.
Source: Wikipedia
What does the morbid owlet look like?
It has a 29 to 35 mm wingspan, pale grayish-white forewings with diffuse brownish or orangish lines, and paler hindwings with faint gray veins.
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/Chytolita
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 2026-10-23.