Bug FAQEnchanter's Cosmet
Mompha terminella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Momphidae
Also called: Enchanters Cosmet
Enchanter's Cosmet (Mompha terminella) is a small moth with a wingspan of about 8 to 10 mm. The larvae mine the leaves of enchanter's nightshade (Circaea spp.) in Europe and North America. Adults fly in a single generation from July to August, and the larvae are present from mid-August to mid-September.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The forewings are orange, sometimes tinged with purple or brown, with a black blotch at the base of the costa edged by silver-metallic spots, and several silver-metallic markings on the wing edges.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The moth’s wingspan measures between 8 and 10 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs from Fennoscandia down to the Iberian Peninsula and from Ireland across to Romania, and it is also present in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing in July and August, producing one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period for adults is July to August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Mompha terminella is a Momphidae moth native to Europe and North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
The adult moth is rarely seen in large numbers, making it unlikely to be confused with common species.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 21 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are the adult Enchanter's Cosmet moths active?
Adults fly from July through August, producing a single generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Momphidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mompha_terminella
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-27 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-27.