Bug FAQFour-spotted Bird-dropping Moth
Tarache tetragona · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The adult moth has a wingspan of about 20 mm. It occurs from southern Florida through the Caribbean and from eastern Texas down through Mexico to Costa Rica. The caterpillars feed on the plants Malvaviscus arboreus and Herssantia crispa.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan is roughly 20 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae eat Malvaviscus arboreus. Larvae also eat Herssantia crispa.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Also ranges from eastern Texas south through Mexico to Costa Rica.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 12 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Louisiana, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Mississippi.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How big is the four-spotted bird-dropping moth?
Adults have a wingspan of about 20 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is this moth found?
It lives from southern Florida through the Caribbean and from eastern Texas down through Mexico to Costa Rica.
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/Tarache_tetragona
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.