Bug FAQAiry Apamea Moth
Apamea vultuosa · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Airy Apamea
The airy apamea (Apamea vultuosa) is a moth in the Noctuidae family that lives in North America. Its caterpillars eat grasses, and the adult moths are active in early summer, typically June and July.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Apamea vultuosa, called the airy apamea, belongs to the Noctuidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on grasses in the Poaceae family.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from June to July, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 21 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Vermont, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio.
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 caterpillars eat?
The caterpillars feed on grasses that belong to the Poaceae family.
Source: Wikipedia
When can I see adult airy apamea moths?
Adult moths are active from June through July, varying by location.
Source: Wikipedia
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/Apamea_vultuosa
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-27 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-27.