Bug FAQAmber Bantam
Frechinia laetalis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Crambidae
The adult moth has forewings that measure about 4.5 to 6 mm in length. It lives in western North America, from eastern Washington and Oregon through Utah and southern California to western Texas. Its larvae mine the leaves of ragweed (Ambrosia) plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Forewing length ranges from 4.5 mm to 6 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on Ambrosia species and create mines in the leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from March through October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Native to North America, with records spanning from eastern Washington and Oregon through Utah, southern California and western Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 10 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, Nebraska, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Montana.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are Amber Bantam moths active?
Adults can be seen flying from early spring in March until late fall in October.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants do the larvae feed on?
The caterpillars mine the leaves of ragweed (Ambrosia) species.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Crambidae)
Box Tree MothCydalima perspectalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Celery Leaftier MothUdea rubigalis
Elegant Grass-veneerMicrocrambus elegans
Hawaiian Beet Webworm MothSpoladea recurvalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Garden Grass-veneerChrysoteuchia culmellaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Bluegrass Webworm MothParapediasia teterrellusDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frechinia_laetalis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-28 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-28.