Bug FAQLithophane atara
Lithophane atara · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Lithophane atara is a moth in the Noctuidae family with forewings about 18 to 20 mm long. It lives in parts of Canada, British Columbia, Manitoba and western Ontario, and the adults fly in August and September. The caterpillars feed on lodgepole pine and ponderosa pine.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Lithophane atara belongs to the moth family Noctuidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The length of each forewing measures roughly 18 to 20 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae eat the needles of lodgepole pine and ponderosa pine.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adult moths are on the wing from August through September.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active during the late summer months of August and September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes British Columbia, Manitoba and western Ontario.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 8 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Montana, Oregon, California, Nebraska, Washington, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada.
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
Questions people ask
What do the caterpillars of Lithophane atara eat?
They feed on lodgepole pine and ponderosa pine.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find Lithophane atara?
It occurs in British Columbia, Manitoba and western Ontario.
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/Lithophane_atara
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-29 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-29.