The Buck Moth is a day-flying silkmoth with striking black-and-white banded wings and a red-tipped abdomen, flying in autumn when male white-tailed deer are in rut. Its caterpillars are gregarious and bear branched, stinging spines that can cause painful skin irritation. Adults are strong fliers, active in sunny oak woodlands on fall afternoons.
Best time to see a Buck Moth
The best time to see a Buck Moth is April–June, when about 66% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 8,560 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Buck Moth? What bug is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Buck Moth sightings near you
Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.
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