Bug FAQHerbivorous Patania Moth
Pleuroptya silicalis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Crambidae
The herbivorous pleuroptya moth belongs to the Crambidae family, subfamily Spilomelinae. It lives in many parts of Central and South America and has been recorded in several U.S. states from the Midwest to the Southeast. Adults have a wingspan of about one inch and are seen flying in the summer months.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Patania silicalis is a moth species in the subfamily Spilomelinae of the Crambidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan measures roughly 24 to 26 mm, about one inch.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on plants like Polygonum, sweet potato, various Ipomoea species, Merremia, Rivina, Bougainvillea and Boehmeria.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are active and on the wing during the summer in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The moth’s flight period in North America is in the summer months.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes many Central and South American countries and parts of the United States such as Missouri, Michigan, Ohio, New York and Florida.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 13 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Mississippi, South Carolina, Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, New Mexico, Louisiana.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When can I expect to see these moths?
Adults are on the wing in the summer season in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants do the larvae eat?
The larvae feed on a variety of plants including Polygonum, sweet potato, several Ipomoea species, Merremia, Rivina, Bougainvillea and Boehmeria.
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/Patania_silicalis
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.