Culver's Root Borer Moth

Papaipema sciata · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae

Also called: Cluvers Root Borer, Culver's Root Borer

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.
Culver's Root Borer Moth
Photo: iNaturalist user, CC0

The adult moth has a wingspan of about 40 mm. It occurs in North America. The larvae bore into the roots of Veronicastrum virginicum to feed.

Source: Wikipedia

Size

The adult’s wingspan is roughly 40 mm.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it lives

This moth is found in North America.

Source: Wikipedia

What it eats

Larvae feed on Veronicastrum virginicum by boring into its roots.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it comes from

Its range is in North America.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it is found in the US

Recorded in 10 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Connecticut, Minnesota, New York, Iowa, New Jersey.

Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.

Source: GBIF

Months it is reported in the US

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Source: GBIF

More photos

Culver's Root Borer Moth photo 2
Photo: Ilona, CC BY-SA

Questions people ask

What do the larvae feed on?

The larvae eat the roots of Veronicastrum virginicum.

Source: Wikipedia

Same family (Noctuidae)

Ipsilon Dart MothIpsilon Dart MothAgrotis ipsilonDamages trees, gardens or cropsFall Armyworm MothFall Armyworm MothSpodoptera frugiperdaDamages trees, gardens or cropsArmy Cutworm MothArmy Cutworm MothEuxoa auxiliarisDamages trees, gardens or cropsLarge Yellow UnderwingLarge Yellow UnderwingNoctua pronubaDamages trees, gardens or cropsSilver ΥSilver ΥAutographa gammaAmerican DaggerAmerican DaggerAcronicta americanaCan irritate skin

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papaipema_sciata

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-28 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-28.

How this page works

This is one bug's fact sheet. The colored box at the top says whether it is dangerous. Sections below cover how to recognize it, whether it is a pest, and how to deal with it. The US map shows which states have records; tap a state to see other bugs there.

Every fact on Bug FAQ comes from a named source (university extension sites, government agencies, GBIF, iNaturalist, Wikipedia). The source is linked next to each section. If we have no source for something, we leave it out.