Bug FAQBougainvillea Caterpillar Moth
Asciodes gordialis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Crambidae
The adult moth has a wingspan of about 25 mm. It occurs in the southern United States, the West Indies and parts of South America. The caterpillars feed on plants of the genus Bougainvillea.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan is roughly 25 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae eat Bougainvillea species.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Found across the southern United States, the West Indies and South America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 5 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, California, Florida, Arizona, Hawaii.
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 this moth found?
It lives in the southern United States, the West Indies and parts of South America.
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/Asciodes_gordialis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-28 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-28.