Bug FAQAbablemma brimleyana
Abablemma brimleyana · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Brimley's algibelle is a small moth with a wingspan of about 15 mm. Caterpillars have been raised on Protococcus algae and probably also feed on lichens.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Brimley's algibelle belongs to the moth family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan is roughly 15 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs in the United States from New Jersey down to Florida and across to Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae have been reared on Protococcus species and likely also eat lichens.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
In the northern part of its range it has two generations per year, with more generations farther south.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are mainly on the wing from April to October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to the United States, spanning New Jersey to Florida and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 14 of 51 states and DC. Most records: New Jersey, Texas, North Carolina, Louisiana, Florida, Maryland, Mississippi, Georgia.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Same family (Noctuidae)
Ipsilon Dart MothAgrotis ipsilonDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Armyworm MothSpodoptera frugiperdaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Army Cutworm MothEuxoa auxiliarisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Large Yellow UnderwingNoctua pronubaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Silver ΥAutographa gamma
American DaggerAcronicta americanaCan irritate skinSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abablemma_brimleyana
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.