Bug FAQLeadplant Flower Moth
Schinia lucens · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The leadplant flower moth has a wingspan of about 25 to 28 mm and shows a distinctive mottled pink coloration that makes it easy to spot. It lives in the central and western United States, where its larvae feed on Amorpha species such as A. canescens, blending in with the host plant. There is a single generation each year, and it belongs to the Noctuidae family of moths.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Adults are mottled pink, a pattern that makes them hard to miss.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from about 25 to 28 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on plants in the Amorpha genus, especially A. canescens, where they are well camouflaged.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The species produces one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 17 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Nebraska, North Dakota, Kansas, South Dakota, Colorado.
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
What does the leadplant flower moth look like?
It is a small moth about 25 to 28 mm across with a distinctive mottled pink color that makes it easy to notice.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the leadplant flower moth found?
It occurs in the central and western parts of the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars of this moth eat?
The larvae feed on Amorpha species, especially Amorpha canescens, where they blend in with the plant.
Source: Wikipedia
How many generations does this moth have each year?
There is one generation per year.
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/Schinia_lucens
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.