Bug FAQLaudable Arches
Lacinipolia laudabilis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The adult moth has a wingspan of about two to three centimeters. Its caterpillars feed on a variety of herbaceous plants. Adults can be seen flying at any time of the year.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Lacinipolia laudabilis, known as the laudable arches moth, belongs to the Noctuidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 20 to 28 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae eat a range of herbaceous plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults have been recorded on the wing throughout the year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Moths are active year-round.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
In its native range it is found across the United States and also in Mexico and Costa Rica.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It is a member of the Noctuidae family, which includes many similar moths.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 30 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Maryland, Alabama, Virginia, Tennessee, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Georgia.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are adult laudable arches moths active?
Adults can be seen flying at any time of the year.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is this moth found?
It lives in many U.S. states and also occurs in Mexico and Costa Rica.
Source: Wikipedia
What family does the laudable arches moth belong to?
It is a member of the Noctuidae family.
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/Lacinipolia_laudabilis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.