I do like insects that have names that make sense. The White-striped Black Moth for example, is perfect. This one is almost perfect and the bit that makes it hard to remember is at least poetic: this moth is a White-spotted Sable. To me, “sable” reminds me of mink coats and I think of a dark brown colour. And when I look closely at this moth, I see that it actually is dark brown. So I guess the word Sable is appropriate.
What Is This Dark Brown Moth With Eight White Spots and Two Orange Stripes On the Neck?
Having now corrected the title, I’ll move on. These White-spotted Sable moths are quite common in June in the parks along the Credit River. They are probably quite common in other forest clearings, too! If you’ve seen them around, please share your sighting with a comment.
Like many moths, they seem to prefer to perch underneath leaves and along stems rather than right out in the open. This one had perched on the underside of a Cow Parsnip petal and was curving its proboscis up onto the flower. It looks to me like it’s only touching the petal though, not the centre of the blossom where presumably any nectar is. So I don’t know if it eventually moved or whether it was content with some dew or moisture on the surface of the petal.
Many insects seem to flock to the Cow Parsnip blossoms for either nectar or pollen. They are a native plant, although they look very similar to Giant Hogweed, so the parks do not intend to destroy them. Just as well for this little moth!
If you do get to see one of these moths face up, there are two distinctive orange marks along the body near where the neck or shoulders would be on an animal. I noticed this orange colour even when the moths were in flight although I couldn’t tell exactly where it was located on them while they were moving.
If It’s a Moth Why Am I Seeing It In the Daytime?
We tend to think of moths as night creatures and butterflies as day-time insects. Unfortunately, like the distinctions between vegetables and fruits, the moths and butterflies never agreed that there was a clear line between the two.
White-spotted Sables and White-striped Black moths are often seen in the daytime. The Sables like to visit flowers; This makes them especially noticeable.
It’s said that moths more often perch with their wings flat than butterflies but to be honest I’ve seen many, many open-winged butterflies perching from Monarchs to Mourning Cloaks and many of the dark-winged Skippers. I’ve given up and have a good field guide for each: The ROM Guide to the Butterflies of Ontario and the Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America.
Where Do White-spotted Sable Caterpillars Lurk?
According to the write up on BugGuide.Net, the young feed on Goldenrod. No wonder they are found throughout most of Canada!
I hope to see more of these moths again in June. Like Pandas and Penguins their black and white colouring appeals to me.
Related Reading
- What is this Black Moth with the White Stripe on Each Wing?
- A Luna Moth Emerges
- Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillars Munch Milkweed
- The Electric Blue Bodied Ctenucha Moth
Join In
Have you noticed some of these spotted moths visiting flowers in your neighbourhood? Please share your sighting with a comment.
Saw this beautiful moth on the Sally Creek Golf course in Woodstock Ontario
Thanks for sharing your sighting!
I saw one yesterday in Flatwoods, KY. I was shocked. I have never seen anything like it. It’s beautiful.
Thanks for sharing!
I saw a go photographed it in my garden in Ste-Thérèse, Quebec, quite a little showy creature, real pretty.
I’m glad you got a photo of one!
I saw one of these moths with very full pollen sacs in Kennett Square, PA.
I just saw one this evening on my lantana. This is in Rotonda West, Florida. May 26, 2020 at about 8 p.m. Zips around a bit like a hummingbird moth, but not as big. Couldn’t get a camera on it fast enough.
Sounds like you had a good look at your moth–it is frustrating when they won’t “pose” so I hope it comes back!
Today 5th June, Pagham, Bognor Regis.
I had one on our siding in Kendallville, Indiana.Sandy
Thanks for sharing!
Is on screen of porch is beautiful first time seeing one live in s.c.
Saw this beauty in Wingate North Carolina. It sat on a Milkweed leaf planted for Monarch’s. Not shy at all and got some nice photos of it.
Great to get the photos! You can post them on “iNaturalist” if you would like to share them with your local moth community. Thanks for sharing your info here, too!
Saw a bunch of these moths close to Belfountain this morning. I so beautiful to see!
Sounds like a great day!
Brooklyn New York first one May 2021
Saw one today in a yoshino cherry tree in South Carolina..
Thanks for sharing!
Son had one light on his finger .today near Chambersburg pa
Wow! That must have been a close up look!
Just took a pic of one here is SE Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia
Great sighting! I saw one today too!
05/31/2018 Bridgehampton-Long Island-New York
Saw one this morning cruising happily around our garden and good a nice capture of it :) Beautiful!
Congratulations–they move quickly! Thanks for sharing!
Saw one today(June 1st) in my back yard in Port Dover, Ontario. It was flitting around our neighbour’s Virginia Creeper.
Inteeresting–BugGuide says the caterpillars feed on Goldenrod, so I wonder if it was more interested in the flowers on the Virginia Creeper or just warming up on the leaves. Thanks for sharing!
I have three of these right now on the porch screen in my house in Door County Wisconsin. We live just south of Egg Harbor. Posted June 11,2018.
Neat way to see them up close! Thanks for sharing!
Just saw one this evening on milkweed flowers. Never saw one before.
I think they can get overlooked because they often hide under the leaves rather than sit out on top. I’m glad you got to see one!
Saw one today in western Indiana
Sounds great!
Saw one in our “Crescent Moon” garden in Stevens Point, WI. He liked both the purple and the white salvia. My husband found him and called me to look. The moth was patient with our gawking; we were both charmed by his tiny size and fancy design.
Thanks for sharing your delightful sighting!
A large one of about six inches wide greeted me to my surprise after exiting my car the other day and even after I shooed it away tried to follow me into the garage… I saw a baby one this morning so apparently they have a little family down here in Florida…
Interesting! You may have seen one of the White Spotted Sables and another moth. The large one is too large for a Sable. Unless they were very close in size, they would not be the same type, as moths do all their “growing” at the caterpillar stage. Once their wings emerge, they cannot get any larger. Thanks for sharing!
I saw one in my semi-shaded back garden today on a bed of coreopsis. Brampton, Ontario.
I wonder if this means a second batch is out for the summer or if they live for over a month? Either way, I’m glad you saw one and thanks for sharing!
this moth was on my sons diaper inside our house this morning! it scared me so bad! so beautiful though
Good grief–sorry to hear where it was hiding!
Rescued two from my porch today, coastal South Carolina!
That was kind of you!
From England, this is my first time ever seeing one, Pretty and interesting so hence I looked it up.
It was on the glass door. Our aspect is dense forest but with large clearing.
Burnsville NC
There are a couple of moths that are a bit similar to this. You may want to borrow the Peterson Guide from the library, if you can, to double check yours if you are interested. They are quite striking!
Saw one at Lake Scott State Park in Western Kansas Memorial Day Weekend. Beautiful. Took a little while to identify because being from Kansas we call them millers not moths.
Sounds like you found a beautiful moth!
West Monroe, Louisiana in late May
Thanks for sharing!
I had one on my porch today in Braselton, Georgia! Never seen this before! Took picture.
Sounds like they are out for spring!
On June 2, 2019, at about 5:15pm here in central west New Jersey, I saw one for the first time. It was on the inside rim of pool. It seemed to be going after those teeny red bugs that like the rim and edge of pool. The sable moth let me get very close for at least 15 minutes. Close enough to see the yellow markings on upper torso and its eyes.
I’m pleased you were able to observe it so well!
Spotted on our deck, Califon, NJ
They seem to be “out and about” this month!
Saw one today at Silver Lake at Waterloo Park in Waterloo, Ontario! Never seen one before!! Beauty!!
Thanks for sharing!
Just saw one perched on an astilbe plume in northeast Connecticut near the University of Connecticut.
What a lovely perch for one!
Saw one this evening on the hyssop in New Douglas Il. Have never seen one before they are just beautiful hope to see more.
Thanks for sharing your sighting!
Had one in my backyard in Cincinnati Ohio. Never seen one before
Around here, we only see them for a couple of weeks each year. They are pretty though!
Saw one yesterday on my deck, Independence, KY. Had never seen one before. Came in out of the rain. Got a couple decent pics.
Sounds like a good time to get a photo!
Saw this striking little moth under the flower cluster of common milkweed in my yard on the morning of July 4th. First time sighting. So happy to learn about and see in my yard!
Milkweed blossoms are very popular with nectar-sippers. You may find quite a few nice visitors this month!
Spotted one on our window near Boone, NC, on July, 21, 2020. I was amazed how thick the wings were and how much it looked like stained glass.
first sighting ever on patio door screen Ottawa On Canada
Hopefully on the outside of the door!
I found this moth on my peony blooms in my front garden. I thought it was a butterfly until I looked it up – hadn’t seen one before! Took some good photos for identification. Very interesting information here and was glad to see so many other sightings! Whitby, Ontario
I think humans invented the split of moths vs butterflies, like we did vegetables and fruit. Sometimes it’s very hard to decide why one is a butterfly and one is a moth!
I spotted one of these little moths at Sherod park in Vermilion Ohio on July 24th, 2019.
Thanks for sharing your glimpse of one of these pretty little moths!
Gorgeous moth on the hyssop here in New Douglas Il. Will be looking for more. So beautiful. Did get a lovely picture.
I’m glad one posed for you! (although I’m sure you still had to do some work to get a nice photo!)
I think I got a glimpse of one of these this afternoon while picking some milkweed for the monarchs I am raising. They certainly are vibrant. I’m in Arlington, WI.
Thanks for sharing your encounter!
I saw one yesterday on a fence post in my backyard, Bucks County PA. At first I was afraid it might be a spotted lantern fly, after studying it for a moment I realized it was not let it live!
Glad you took a second look–thanks for sharing and for letting it live!
I took a picture of what I think is one in East Flat Rock North Carolina? I can send it to you.
Unfortunately there’s no way to send it to me, but you could post it to a website/app called “iNaturalist” Then it will get added to the map of observations for the species. Thanks for sharing your sighting with us, too!
Saw one today in Millbrook, Ontario. In a farmers hay field. First time I”ve seen one of these tiny moths.
Thanks for sharing!
Saw 3 of these beauties today in Waterloo, Ontario flitting around my grape vine. Very shy, but stayed still long enough to get a couple of photos.
Thanks for sharing!
Just found one sitting by my garage. It was closed winged and the stripes on the shoulders seems cream coloured (like the spots) not orange.
Sounds like another kind of moth but interesting to see and hear about!
Oops, forgot to mention… Fredericton, New Brunswick
Saranac, NY.
Got a photo of it.
If you are interested, there is a website called iNaturalist.org where people post their photos and the location for others to see. And thank you for sharing your sighting with us!
Hello.
Just saw one in our backyard in North Toronto. Beautiful
Sounds like a good sighting!
I had something that looked extremely similar to this chasing me yesterday. it landed on me, and I felt something like a bite, and shooed it away, and it just kept coming back. I ran like a block away, and the thing still came and kept trying to land on my calves. Freaked me out, but now that I know it was a moth, why the heck was it bothering me?
These are very small moths, so I think it may have been a different insect that was giving you trouble. Moths (and butterflies) don’t have anything they can bite or sting with, just a little rollup straw they can sip nectar or water with. Sorry you had a bad time!
Don’t see my post so reposting from yesterday. Spotted one on a red coneflower in New Douglas Il.
Such a beauty
Very sorry for the delay. With this virus around I haven’t been able to use the internet much unfortunately. Thanks for sharing your visitor though!
I saw this moth yesterday, fluttering in my yard in Cayuta, New York. It caught my attention because it looks checkered when it flies!!!!!! It’s small and it didn’t like me following it, but I finally got a photo once it stopped to rest! Beautiful!
Found one I my yard north of Edmonton Alberta
I saw one on my window yesterday. I’ve never seen anything like it, it was beautiful. Had to look online to see what it was. I went upstairs to get a picture with my phone, but unfortunately was too late.
7:38 pm … just saw the beautiful little moth in Kenbridge, Virginia … striking, but flew away before I could capture it in a piece. Will be on the lookout for more,
Spotted one this week on a young scotch pine tree in Cobourg’ Ontario. Lots of goldenrod in the area for them This is the first time I’ve notice one. Took a photo and checked that it wasn’t an invasive Spotted Lantern fly. Fortunately it was not.
I’m very glad it wasn’t a lantern fly! Thanks for sharing your “good news” find.