Note that this post is by no means exhaustive and does not contain every family, nor every way to identify them. I'm mostly keeping this here as a quick reference for myself while IDing things I see commonly. I may update this in the future as I learn more!
Apatelodidae (Apatelodid Moths)
Medium-sized
Shades of grey and brown with wavy patterns, though less dense than some Geometrids
Wings are held flatly at rest, with the hindwings concealed
Large tufts of hair on the upper potions of the legs, which are absent on the lower half of the legs
Crambidae (Crambid Snout Moths)
Tiny to Small in size
Have elongated face parts which appear snoutlike
Very broad and large family
Geometridae (Geometer Moths)
Medium-sized moths with cryptic or green coloring
Wavy patterns with many or few lines, often extending across both the forewing and hindwing continuously
Larvae only have legs at the ends of their bodies and move in an "inchworm" fashion
Hesperiidae (Skipper Butterflies)
Small butterflies that fly in a characteristic darting flight pattern
Antennae have a hook or club shape on the end
Larger bodies and more neutral colors compared to other butterflies make them appear moth-like
Lasiocampidae (Lappet Moths)
Plump, fluffy bodies which are elongated and often extend past the hindwings
Rest with wings in a roof formation and often with the frontmost pair of legs extended forward
Antennae are feather/fern-shaped along their entire length (in contrast with notodontidae, which may have partially pectinated or even completely straight antennae)
Lycaenidae (Gossamer-Winged Butterflies)
Small butterflies, similar in size to skippers
Grey, spotted undersides with brightly colored (Usually blue, orange or brown) dorsal sides
Some species have "tails", similar to swallowtails
Notodontidae (Prominent Moths)
Large and fluffy, similar to Lasiocampidae though with less elongated bodies
Hold wings in roof formation or rolled at rest, with smaller species looking like sticks
Nymphalidae (Brush-Footed Butterflies)
A very broad group which can be many sizes, small to large
Wing marges may be smooth or irregular, with some having tail-like shapes on the hindwings
Brightly colored and often black with prominent yellow, red, or orange markings
Megalopygidae (Flannel moths)
Medium-sized with extra fluffy, plump bodies
Broad wings held in roof formation at rest
Simple colorations with few or no markings
Larval stages of some species have painful stings!
Pterophoridae (Plume Moths)
Small
Characteristic T-shape at rest, slender wings
Usually neutral coloration
Papilionidae (Swallowtail Butterflies)
Medium to Large in size
Very often have "tails", though not always
Similar coloration to Nymphalidae
Pyalidae (Pyralid Moths)
Highly variable and broad family
Typically have "snouts" like Crambidae
Many different possible resting postures
Saturniidae (Giant Silk Moths)
Small to Extremely Large, including many of the world's largest moths
Plump bodies and broad wings usually held to their sides at rest with the hindwings exposed
Feather or Fern-like antennae which are bushier in males
Some groups, such as Actias, have tails!
Schreckensteiniidae (Bristle-legged Moths)
A small family with few species, not often seen
Tiny in size
Spined legs that appear similar to small, thorned branches
Legs are raised when at rest
Sesiidae (Sesiid Moths)
Small to Medium-Large moths
Heavy bodies relative to their delicate, often clear wings
Almost all species in this family mimic wasps, hornets, bees, etc
Sphingidae (Sphinx Moths)
Medium to Large moths
Rest with their pointed forewings concealing their hindwings, in a characteristic "W" shape"
May have simple and cryptic colors or dizzyingly complex and bright patterns
Tortricidae (Tortricid Moths)
Small moths in shades of brown or gray
Wings are held in a flattened roof formation, giving them an arrowhead-like shape
Yponomeutidae (Yponomeutid Moths)
Very tiny
More colorful compared to other micromoth groups, many have orange colors
Rest with rolled wings and often one end raised, similar to many moths in Crambidae
Zygaenidae (Zygaenid Moths)
Small, day-flying moths
Elongated, oval-shaped wings
Generally metallic and shiny, with prominent red, yellow or orange markings
Spotted visiting a hollow joe-pye weed which has been noted in a separate observation
Cute but not very cooperative, these are the best photos I could get but I hope they're ok! c:
Found inside but gently put back outdoors :)
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