Bug FAQShagreened Slug Moth
Apoda biguttata · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Limacodidae
Source: Wikipedia
The shagreened slug moth has a wingspan of about 19 to 30 mm. It lives in eastern North America. Adults are on the wing from April through August, and the caterpillars eat the leaves of oak, hickory and hornbeam.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Apoda biguttata, known as the shagreened slug moth, belongs to the family Limacodidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 19 to 30 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found in eastern North America.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on a variety of deciduous trees, including hornbeam, hickory and oak.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The adult moth flies from April to August.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active during the months of April through August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range is eastern North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 35 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, Maryland, Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, Alabama, Ohio, Pennsylvania.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What trees do the caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on deciduous trees such as hornbeam, hickory and oak.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Limacodidae)
Saddleback Caterpillar MothAcharia stimuleaCan sting
Spiny Oak-slug MothEuclea delphiniiVenomous
Yellow-shouldered Slug MothLithacodes fasciolaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Skiff MothProlimacodes badiaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Crowned Slug MothIsa textulaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Yellow-collared Slug MothApoda y-inversaDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apoda_biguttata
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.