Bug FAQHalf-yellow Moth
Ponometia semiflava (formerly Acontia semiflava) · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The half-yellow moth has a wingspan of about 14 to 24 mm. It lives in dry open places such as sandy prairies, old beaches and dunes across much of North America.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Ponometia semiflava, called the half-yellow or yellow-cloaked midget, belongs to the Noctuidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges between 14 and 24 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It prefers dry, open habitats like sandy prairies, old beaches and dunes.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae have been reported on Sarracenia flava, though this record is likely a misidentification.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There is one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are nocturnal and are on the wing from March to August in southern areas and from June to July in northern areas.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 34 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Mississippi, Kansas, Louisiana, North Carolina.
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
Where does this moth live?
It inhabits dry open areas such as sandy prairies, old beaches and dunes across much of North America.
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/Ponometia_semiflava
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.