Bug FAQCommon Arugisa Moth
Arugisa lutea · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Common Arugisa
The common arugina moth has a wingspan of about 17 mm. It lives in the United States, from Maryland and Virginia down to Florida and west to Texas and Missouri. Its larvae eat living and dead grasses and have even been seen feeding on blue-green algae.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Arugisa lutea, known as the common arugisa moth, belongs to the family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The adult’s wingspan measures roughly 17 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
They have also been observed eating blue-green algae.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing mainly from May through October, but in Florida they can be seen nearly year-round.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period spans May to October, extending almost continuously in Florida.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is found in the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 20 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Alabama, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida.
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
When are common arugisa moths active?
Adults fly from May to October, and in Florida they may be active throughout the year.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on living and dead grasses and have also been recorded eating blue-green algae.
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/Arugisa_lutea
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.