Bug FAQGolden Pyrausta Moth and Allies
Pyrausta onythesalis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Crambidae
Also called: Golden Pyrausta Moth
The Golden Pyrausta moth has a wingspan of about 17 to 21 millimetres. Its wings show a purplish-red outer line and a broad sub-marginal band. Adults are on the wing from March through October.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The outer line and a wide band near the wing edge are colored purplish red.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The moth’s wingspan ranges between 17 and 21 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs in North America, recorded from Florida to Georgia, as well as Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Arizona.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults have been observed flying from March until October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range is North America, with records in the same states listed for its habitat.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 13 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kansas.
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
When are Golden Pyrausta moths active?
Adults are on the wing from early spring through fall, roughly March to October.
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_onythesalis
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.