Bug FAQArcigera Flower Moth
Schinia arcigera · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The moth has a wingspan of about 22 to 25 mm. It lives across much of North America, from Nova Scotia to Florida and west to Arizona and Idaho. Caterpillars eat several wildflower species, including three Symphyotrichum types and Psilactis tenuis.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 22 to 25 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on Symphyotrichum laeve, S. puniceum, S. ericoides and Psilactis tenuis.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Found from Nova Scotia south to Florida, west to Arizona and Idaho, and north to Saskatchewan.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 44 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Massachusetts, Illinois, Ohio, Oklahoma, Michigan, Connecticut, Maryland.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Are they a garden pest?
Their larvae feed on a few wildflower species, not on common garden crops.
Source: Wikipedia
When can I see these moths?
Adults are on the wing from midsummer through early fall, varying by region.
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/Schinia_arcigera
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.