Bug FAQClemens' Agonopterix
Agonopterix clemensella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Depressariidae
The moth has a wingspan of about 19 mm. It lives in damp woods and meadows across many eastern U.S. states and parts of Canada. Its caterpillars feed on several members of the carrot family, such as parsnip and giant hogweed.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Clemens' Agonopterix belongs to the moth family Depressariidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The adult’s wingspan measures roughly 19 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It prefers damp woodland and meadow environments.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on various Umbelliferae plants, including Sanicula odorata, Osmorhiza longistylis, Zizia aptera, parsnip, and giant hogweed.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults survive the winter, overwintering in the adult stage.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is found in eastern North America, including many U.S. states such as Illinois, Ohio, and Maine, as well as Ontario, Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 27 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Indiana.
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 caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on several carrot-family species such as Sanicula odorata, Osmorhiza longistylis, Zizia aptera, parsnip, and giant hogweed.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is Clemens' Agonopterix found?
It occurs in damp woods and meadows throughout eastern North America, recorded in many U.S. states and Ontario, Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Depressariidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agonopterix_clemensella
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.