Bug FAQHieroglyphic Moth
Diphthera festiva · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Source: Wikipedia
The adult has yellow-orange forewings with blue-black metallic lines and rows of metallic dots, and a black hindwing with a white fringe. It lives in tropical and subtropical regions of South America, Central America, North America and the Caribbean, especially the southeastern United States from South Carolina to Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from about 37 to 48 mm (1.5 to 1.9 in).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found in tropical and subtropical areas of South America, Central America, North America and the Caribbean.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed in groups on plants in the Sterculiaceae, Fabaceae and Malvaceae families and can grow up to 4.5 cm long. Larvae have warning coloration; a male was once dropped by a gray kingbird that tried to eat it but spat it out.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Pupae are dark brown to black, about 1.7 cm long. They are attached to trees or stems inside rounded silk cocoons that incorporate small pieces of plant material.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 10 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Florida, Arizona, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Mississippi.
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
What plants do the caterpillars eat?
They feed on members of the Sterculiaceae, Fabaceae and Malvaceae families.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is this moth found in the United States?
It occurs in the southeastern states from South Carolina to Texas along the Gulf Coast.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Erebidae)
Spongy MothLymantria disparDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Webworm MothHyphantria cuneaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Brown-tail MothEuproctis chrysorrhoeaCan irritate skin
Isabella Tiger MothPyrrharctia isabella
Virginian Tiger MothSpilosoma virginicaCan irritate skin
Salt Marsh MothEstigmene acreaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diphthera_festiva
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.