Bug FAQAgonopterix lythrella
Agonopterix lythrella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Depressariidae
The moth has a wingspan of about 15 mm and tawny-reddish forewings with distinctive pale cinereous patches and a curved black spot edged in reddish. It lives across many parts of North America, recorded from several U.S. states and Canadian provinces, and its larvae feed on Lythrum alatum and two Hypericum species.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The forewings are tawny-reddish, dusted with dark and pale grayish tones toward the leading edge. A pale grayish basal patch on the forewing bears a distinct spot on its lower half. Before the middle of the wing there is a curved black spot outlined in reddish color and followed by grayish scales. The hindwings are brownish-grey.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan measures roughly 15 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is found in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 13 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, New York, Maryland, North Carolina, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Michigan, Vermont.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do the larvae of Agonopterix lythrella eat?
The caterpillars feed on Lythrum alatum and two species of Hypericum.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is Agonopterix lythrella found?
It occurs in many U.S. states and Canadian provinces across North America.
Source: Wikipedia
What does the moth look like?
It has tawny-reddish forewings with pale grayish patches, a curved black spot edged in reddish, and brownish-grey hindwings (-).
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Depressariidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agonopterix_lythrella
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-29 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-29.