Bug FAQElegant Pyrausta
Pyrausta grotei · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Crambidae
The adult has dark reddish-purple forewings with a brown base and a pale yellow spot on the leading edge. It lives in many western and central US states, including Washington, Oregon, California, and Texas. Adults are on the wing from April through August.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
A pale yellow spot appears on the costa of the forewing. Hindwings are fuscous.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 9 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Arizona, Montana, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Oregon, Idaho.
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 are adult Elegant Pyrausta active?
Adults are on the wing from April through August.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Crambidae)
Box Tree MothCydalima perspectalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Celery Leaftier MothUdea rubigalis
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/Pyrausta_grotei
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-28 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-28.