The Imperial Moth is a massive, vividly colored moth with yellow wings heavily spotted and blotched with purple-brown, pink, and orange — a pattern that varies considerably between individuals. With a wingspan reaching 5 inches, it is one of the largest moths in eastern North America. The enormous caterpillar is brown or green with spines and can reach 4 inches in length.
Best time to see a Imperial Moth
The best time to see a Imperial Moth is July–August, when about 66% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 27,281 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Imperial Moth? What bug is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Imperial Moth sightings near you
Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.
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