Bug FAQColumbine Borer Moth
Papaipema leucostigma · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Papaipema leucostigma, known as the columbine borer, was first described in 1841. It lives in eastern North America. The caterpillars feed on columbine plants (Aquilegia).
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The species is called Papaipema leucostigma, the columbine borer, and was described by Thaddeus William Harris in 1841.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found in eastern North America.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on columbine (Aquilegia) plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range is eastern North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 16 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Vermont, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, Kentucky.
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
What do the larvae of the columbine borer eat?
The caterpillars feed on columbine plants, also known as Aquilegia.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Noctuidae)
Ipsilon Dart MothAgrotis ipsilonDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Armyworm MothSpodoptera frugiperdaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Army Cutworm MothEuxoa auxiliarisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Large Yellow UnderwingNoctua pronubaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Silver ΥAutographa gamma
American DaggerAcronicta americanaCan irritate skinSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papaipema_leucostigma
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-27 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-27.