Bug FAQAster Borer
Papaipema impecuniosa · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Aster Borer Moth
Source: Wikipedia
Papaipema impecuniosa, the aster borer moth, lives in eastern North America from Nova Scotia to Georgia and west to Illinois, Wisconsin and Ontario. The caterpillars feed on Aster species and Helenium autumnale, boring into stems and roots and harming those plants.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
It is a moth in the Noctuidae family, known as the aster borer or impecunious borer.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs in eastern North America, ranging from Nova Scotia down to Georgia and west to Illinois, Wisconsin and Ontario.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range is eastern North America, covering the same area as its habitat.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 25 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Vermont, Illinois.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Where is Papaipema impecuniosa found?
It lives in eastern North America, from Nova Scotia to Georgia and west to Illinois, Wisconsin and Ontario.
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/Papaipema_impecuniosa
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.