Bug FAQLittle Dark Gem
Schinia villosa · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The little dark gem moth has a wingspan of about 20 mm. Adults fly in July and August, depending on where they live. Its caterpillars eat plants such as Aster, Erigeron and Eucephalus ledophyllus.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Schinia villosa, called the little dark gem, belongs to the Noctuidae family of moths.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The moth’s wingspan measures roughly 20 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from July through August, varying with location.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
In North America it is found from the western mountains eastward across the Canadian plains to southern Manitoba, and from the Pacific coast down to Arizona.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 8 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming, Utah, Washington, Montana, Nebraska.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are little dark gem moths active?
Adults are active in July and August, though the exact timing depends on the region.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars eat?
They feed on plants such as Aster, Erigeron and Eucephalus ledophyllus.
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_villosa
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-27 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-27.