Bug FAQFawn Sallow
Psaphida styracis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The fawn sallow is a moth in the Noctuidae family with a wingspan of about 31 to 37 mm. It lives in eastern North America and has been introduced to the United Kingdom, and its larvae feed on oak trees. Adults fly from March to May and there is one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Psaphida styracis, called the fawn sallow, belongs to the Noctuidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan measures roughly 1.2 to 1.4 inches (31 to 37 mm).
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars eat leaves of oak (Quercus) species.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The species produces one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from March through May, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 26 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Mississippi, Texas, Tennessee, Massachusetts.
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 fawn sallows active?
Adults fly from March to May, varying with local climate.
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/Psaphida_styracis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.