Bug FAQNorthern Flower Moth
Schinia septentrionalis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Aster Flower Moth
The Northern Flower Moth has a wingspan of about 25 mm. It lives across a broad swath of North America, from Missouri and Quebec down to South Carolina and Louisiana, with records also in Colorado, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Texas. Its caterpillars feed on several aster species, such as smooth aster (Symphyotrichum laeve) and narrowleaf aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium). The species produces one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan is roughly 25 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There is one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Native to North America, spanning the same states and provinces listed for its habitat.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 19 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Illinois, Connecticut, New Mexico, Colorado, New York, South Dakota.
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
What do the caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on several aster species such as Symphyotrichum laeve and Symphyotrichum oblongifolium.
Source: Wikipedia
How many generations does this moth have each year?
It produces a single generation annually.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find this moth?
It occurs across North America from Missouri to Quebec and from South Carolina to Louisiana, with records in Colorado, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Texas.
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_septentrionalis
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.