Bug FAQGenista Broom Moth
Uresiphita reversalis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Crambidae
Also called: genista caterpillar
Source: Wikipedia
The genista broom moth has a wingspan of about 27 to 34 mm. It is found across the United States and several Caribbean islands. The caterpillars are brightly colored as a warning (aposematic).
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Both the adult moths and their caterpillars have warning coloration (aposematic).
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 27 to 34 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It has been recorded in the United States, Cuba, Bermuda, Puerto Rico and Jamaica.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults can be seen throughout the year in the southern range, producing multiple generations.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Now recorded across the United States, plus Cuba, Bermuda, Puerto Rico and Jamaica; it likely started out in Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Uresiphita reversalis, also called the genista broom moth or sophora worm, belongs to the Crambidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 39 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, California, Florida, North Carolina, Arizona, Oklahoma, Georgia, Louisiana.
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
What plants can the larvae damage?
The caterpillars feed on many garden and ornamental plants such as Acacia, Lonicera, Baptisia, Genista, Lupinus, Lagerstroemia and Cytisus species.
Source: Wikipedia
Where might I see these moths?
They are found across the United States and in Caribbean locations like Cuba, Bermuda, Puerto Rico and Jamaica.
Source: Wikipedia
Are they native to my area?
They probably originated in Mexico and have spread northward.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Crambidae)
Box Tree MothCydalima perspectalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Celery Leaftier MothUdea rubigalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
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/Uresiphita_reversalis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.