Bug FAQLantana Moth Species Complex
Diastema tigris · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Lantana Moth, Tiger Lantana Moth
Source: Wikipedia
The moth has a wingspan of about 25 mm. It is native to Florida and Texas but has been introduced to many other countries. Its caterpillars eat Lantana camara, which can harm those plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan is roughly 25 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Found naturally in Florida and Texas and introduced to places like Zambia, Australia, and Hawaii.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on the plant Lantana camara.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 4 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana.
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 does this moth damage?
Its caterpillars eat Lantana camara, which can harm those garden plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is this moth originally from?
It is native to Florida and Texas in the United States.
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/Diastema_tigris
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.