A Lesser Maple Spanworm in Pasadena, Maryland (6/5/2013).
A Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth in Kent Co., Maryland (6/6/2014).
A Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth in Harford Co., Maryland (7/2/2019).
A Lesser maple Spanworm Moth in Garrett Co., Maryland (7/7/2013).
A Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth in Garrett Co., Maryland (7/11/2014).
A Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth in Worcester Co., Maryland (6/28/2013).
A Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth in Howard Co., Maryland (7/18/2015).
Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth in Worcester Co., Maryland (6/9/2013).
A Lesser Spanworm Moth in Baltimore Co., Maryland (7/14/2013).
A Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth in Worcester Co., Maryland (6/10/2013).
A Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (6/5/2015).
A Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth in Harford Co., Maryland (7/14/2017).
A male Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth in Caroline Co., Maryland (6/26/2022).
A male Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth in Cecil Co., Maryland (6/21/2023).
A Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth in Allegany Co., Maryland (6/26/2015). Verified by Roger Downer/BAMONA.
A Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth in Cecil Co., Maryland (6/12/2017).
A Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth in Harford Co., Maryland (7/6/2021).
A Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth in Frederick Co., Maryland (6/11/2016).
A Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth in Harford Co., Maryland (7/25/2014). Verified by Roger Downer/BAMONA.
A female Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth in Garrett Co., Maryland (9/15/2022).
Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth in Prince George's Co., Maryland (6/18/2017). (c) Barbara Thurlow, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC ).
A Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth on South Mountain, Washington Co., Maryland (7/28/2006).
A Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth in Frederick Co., Maryland (6/23/2015).
A Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth in St. Mary's Co., Maryland (6/5/2015).
A Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth in Baltimore Co., Maryland (7/8/2017). Determined by Jim Sogaard/BugGuide.
A Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth in Prince George's Co., Maryland (5/24/2010).
A Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth in Calvert Co., Maryland (6/16/2006).
A Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth in Howard Co., Maryland (5/28/2004).
A Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth collected in Frederick Co., Maryland (6/16/2001).
Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth in Dorchester Co., Maryland (6/2/2023). (c) Jim Brighton, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC ).
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Relationships Larval host plants: A variety of trees including maple, cherry, and birch.
Use of media featured on Maryland Biodiversity Project is only permitted with express permission of the photographer.
Species of moth
Speranza pustularia , the lesser maple spanworm , is a moth of the family Geometridae . Adults are on wing from May to July in the south and from June to August in the north. There is one generation per year.
Adults have white wings with wavy orange-yellow lines across both the forewings and hindwings. These lines are often thicker at the top-most edge of the forewing. The wingspan is 18–27 mm.
The lesser maple spanworm is found from Nova Scotia to Florida , west to Mississippi , north to North Dakota and Saskatchewan . They are most common in deciduous and mixed forests.[ 1]
The larvae feed on the leaves of maple, especially Acer rubrum . While A. rubrum is their primary food source, they may also feed on Acer saccharum and Acer saccharinum . Some have also been recorded on birch, cherry, poplar, Abies , Tsuga and tamarack.