Bug FAQCucumber Moth
Diaphania indica · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Crambidae
Also called: Melon-worm Moth
Source: Wikipedia
Adults have a 30 mm wingspan and translucent whitish wings with dark brown borders. The moth is native to southern Asia and now occurs in many tropical and subtropical regions, likely spread by trade of host plants.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The wings are whitish and see-through with broad dark brown edges, and the body is white underneath with brown on the head, thorax, and rear abdomen.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan is about 30 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
The larvae are frequent agricultural pests and can become a significant problem for cucurbit crops.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives in many tropical and subtropical areas outside the Americas and may have been introduced to islands via trade of its host plants.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on a variety of cucurbit hosts such as pumpkins, cucumber, luffa species, and calabash.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It has been described as new species several times, so microscopic examination of the genitalia is needed for reliable identification.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 5 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Florida, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina.
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 plants does the cucumber moth damage?
Its caterpillars feed on cucurbits such as pumpkin, cucumber, luffa, and calabash, often causing serious crop loss.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the cucumber moth originally from?
It is native to southern Asia, ranging from South Asia to southern China, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and the Maluku Islands.
Source: Wikipedia
Why am I seeing cucumber moths in my garden?
The species has spread to many tropical and subtropical regions, often arriving via trade of host plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Crambidae)
Box Tree MothCydalima perspectalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Celery Leaftier MothUdea rubigalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Elegant Grass-veneerMicrocrambus elegans
Hawaiian Beet Webworm MothSpoladea recurvalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Garden Grass-veneerChrysoteuchia culmellaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Bluegrass Webworm MothParapediasia teterrellusDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaphania_indica
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.