Celery looper

Hodges #

8924

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List

not listed

NatureServe

NNR - Unranked

Minnesota

not listed

Description

Celery looper is a medium-sized moth that is active both day and night. There are two forms, a gray form and a brown form. The gray form is more common early in the season.

The antennae are not feathered.

The thorax is covered with dense, hair-like scales forming two distinct dorsal crests (tufts): a prominent, taller anterior crest immediately behind the head and a shorter posterior crest near the base of the abdomen.

The outer margin, leading edge (costal margin), and base of the forewing of the gray form is light gray to brownish-gray. The inner margin is conspicuously indented at the postmedian region. There is a large, rectangular, dark brown patch in the median portion. The stigma is a curved, silvery-white bar that forms a loop at the end and resembles the Greek letter gamma (γ). The upper arm of the stigma is a short spur. The lower arm extends to the inner margin of the wing along the basal edge of the dark patch. Beyond the stigma a reddish spot is usually visible.

The hindwing is reddish-brown or grayish-brown with a narrow, pale, postmedian region.

The brown form is similar but has a dark reddish-brown forewing with paler, grayish-brown outer margin and basal regions.

Size

Total length: 11⁄16″ to ⅞″ (18 to 22 mm)

Forewing length: 9⁄16″ to 11⁄16″ (14 to 18 mm)

Wingspan: 1¼″ to 1⅜″ (32 to 34 mm)

Similar Species

Habitat

Meadows, pastures, crops, roadsides, and other open areas

Ecology

Season

May to September. Two or more generations per year.

Behavior

Life Cycle

Pupa overwinter in the soil and emerge in the spring when the temperature reaches 50°F.

Larva Food/Hosts

Plantain (Plantago), viburnum (Viburnum), clover, and various crops.

Adult Food

Flower nectar

Distribution

Sources

7, 21, 24, 27, 30, 75, 82, 83.

Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu. Accessed 10/10/2026).

Anagrapha falcifera (Kirby, 1837) in Bánki, O., Roskov, Y., Döring, M., Ower, G., Hernández Robles, D. R., Plata Corredor, C. A., Stjernegaard Jeppesen, T., Örn, A., Pape, T., Hobern, D., Garnett, S., Little, H., DeWalt, R. E., Miller, J., Orrell, T., Aalbu, R., Abbott, J., Abreu, C., Acero P, A., et al. (2026). Catalogue of Life (2026-08-26 XR). Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgyy9

Quinn, Edward. M., and Ron Danielson. April 27, 2009. A Survey of Lepidoptera in Three Priority Areas of the Minnesota State Parks System. https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/nongame/projects/consgrant_reports/2009
/2009_quinn_danielson.pdf.