Bug FAQBicolored Pyrausta Moth and Allies
Pyrausta bicoloralis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Crambidae
Also called: Bicolored Pyrausta, Bicolored Pyrausta Moth
Adults have a wingspan of about 14 to 19 mm and display a yellow and purple pattern. They are active from June through September and are found across eastern North America, extending south into South America.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The moth’s wings show a distinctive mix of yellow and purple markings.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 14 to 19 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs from Nova Scotia down to Florida and west to Michigan and Texas, with its range continuing into South America.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing between June and September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to North America, recorded from eastern Canada to the southern United States and further south into South America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 38 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Ohio, Michigan, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Virginia, North Carolina.
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 are they found?
They live from eastern Canada down through the eastern United States into South America.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Crambidae)
Box Tree MothCydalima perspectalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Celery Leaftier MothUdea rubigalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
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/Pyrausta_bicoloralis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.