Bug FAQHeliocheilus julia
Heliocheilus julia · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
It is drawn to lights and flies once each year from late July through September.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
This species belongs to the Noctuidae family of moths and is found in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Adults are attracted to artificial lights at night.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The moth has a single generation that flies from late July to September.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from late July through September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It occurs from central New Mexico westward to eastern Arizona and southward into Jalisco, Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 3 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Arizona, Texas, New Mexico.
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 can I expect to see Heliocheilus julia?
Adults are active in one flight period that runs from late July until September.
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/Heliocheilus_julia
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.