Bug FAQLarge Tabby
Aglossa pinguinalis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Pyralidae
Also called: Pyralid moth, Large Tabby Moth
The large tabby moth has a wingspan of about 27 mm in males and 37 mm in females, with forewings 14 to 18 mm long. Its forewings are grey-ochreous or brownish, speckled with dark spots and marked by a blackish subbasal line and a dark discal spot; hindwings are fuscous-grey. It is native to the Palearctic region and has been introduced to North America and New Zealand.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Males have a wingspan of about 27 mm and females about 37 mm; forewing length ranges from 14 to 18 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
The larvae are dark-hued and feed on animal fats.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on animal fats.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to the Palearctic region. It has been introduced to North America and New Zealand.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 31 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Washington, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Vermont, Oregon, Ohio, Michigan.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: introduced in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Same family (Pyralidae)
Indian-Meal MothPlodia interpunctellaCan damage your home
Greater Wax MothGalleria mellonella
Mediterranean Flour MothEphestia kuehniellaCan damage your home
Meal mothPyralis farinalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Bee MothAphomia sociellaNuisance, not dangerous
Yellow-fringed Dolichomia MothHypsopygia olinalisSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aglossa_pinguinalis
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.