Bug FAQDelicate Silver Υ
Autographa pseudogamma · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Delicate Silver Y
The delicate silver Y has a wingspan of about 40 to 45 mm. Adults fly in midsummer, typically from July through August depending on where they live.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Autographa pseudogamma, called the delicate silver Y, belongs to the moth family Noctuidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 40 to 45 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs across North America from Newfoundland west to coastal northern Alaska, and south to New England and the western mountains down to New Mexico, Arizona and California.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There is one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from July to August, varying with location.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to North America, spanning eastern Canada and the United States to the western mountain states.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 15 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Colorado, Alaska, Wyoming, Montana, Oregon, Utah, California, Maine.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are adult delicate silver Y moths active?
Adults fly during midsummer, usually from July through August, though the exact timing depends on the region.
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/Autographa_pseudogamma
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.