Bug FAQCalifornia Cloverworm Moth
Hypena californica · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
The California cloverworm moth is catalogued as number 8462 in the MONA/Hodges system. Its caterpillars feed mainly on nettles (Urtica species).
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The California cloverworm moth belongs to the family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its MONA or Hodges number is 8462.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
It has never been of economic importance and causes no known damage to homes or property.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed mainly on nettles of the genus Urtica.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is found along the western coast of North America, from southern California up to southern British Columbia, with some inland records in western Idaho.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 7 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Oregon, Washington, California, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do the larvae of the California cloverworm moth eat?
The caterpillars feed mainly on nettles (Urtica species).
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Erebidae)
Spongy MothLymantria disparDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Webworm MothHyphantria cuneaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Brown-tail MothEuproctis chrysorrhoeaCan irritate skin
Isabella Tiger MothPyrrharctia isabella
Virginian Tiger MothSpilosoma virginicaCan irritate skin
Salt Marsh MothEstigmene acreaDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypena_californica
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.