Bug FAQDrasteria scrupulosa
Drasteria scrupulosa · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
The moth Drasteria scrupulosa belongs to the family Erebidae and has forewings 18 to 21 mm long. It lives in open sagebrush steppes across several western U.S. states, including California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Utah. Adults are on the wing in July and August, at least in California.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Drasteria scrupulosa is a moth in the family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The forewings measure between 18 and 21 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Its habitat consists of open sagebrush steppes.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults have been recorded flying in July and August in California.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 9 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Oregon, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When can I see Drasteria scrupulosa adults?
Adults are on the wing in July and August, at least in California.
Source: Wikipedia
Where does Drasteria scrupulosa live?
It lives in open sagebrush steppes across several western U.S. states such as California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Utah.
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/Drasteria_scrupulosa
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.