Zale metatoides

The washed-out zale or jack pine false looper (Zale metatoides) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in barrens and pine woodlands from at least Wisconsin and probably Manitoba to Maine, south to the mountains of Georgia. The range in the Gulf States is not certain.

The wingspan is about 35 mm. There is one generation per year.

The larvae feed on various hard pines, including Jack pine, Pitch pine and Red pine. They prefer young pine needles. The larvae are usually orange-brown, brown or gray but more greenish forms occasionally occur.