Bug FAQClay-colored Agonopterix Moth
Agonopterix argillacea · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Depressariidae
The clay-colored Agonopterix moth has a wingspan of about 14 to 21 mm. Its forewings are a pale grey-ochre color speckled with dark scales, while the hindwings are similarly pale grey-ochre. It occurs across much of North America, from California up through British Columbia and east to the Atlantic provinces, and also in several interior states such as Michigan, Texas and Utah.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The forewings are pale greyish-ochreous with blackish-fuscous speckles. The hindwings are pale greyish ochreous.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults have a wingspan ranging from 14 to 21 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on willow species (Salix lasiolepis and Salix bebbiana), Amorpha fruticosa, and Ptelea trifoliata.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to North America, with records spanning from the west coast to the Atlantic provinces and many interior regions.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 30 of 51 states and DC. Most records: South Carolina, Michigan, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin, New York, Connecticut, California.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants do the larvae of the clay-colored Agonopterix moth eat?
The caterpillars feed on willow (Salix), Amorpha fruticosa, and the three-leaf hoptree (Ptelea trifoliata).
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Depressariidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agonopterix_argillacea
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.