Bug FAQNorthern Giant Flag Moth
Dysschema howardi · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
The Northern Giant Flag Moth has a wingspan of about 85 to 95 mm. It occurs from the southwestern United States down into northwestern Mexico. Its caterpillars feed on plants in the aster family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 85 to 95 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae eat Asteraceae species.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Found from the southwestern US to northwestern Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 3 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Arizona, New Mexico, Texas.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Same family (Erebidae)
Spongy MothLymantria disparDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Webworm MothHyphantria cuneaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Brown-tail MothEuproctis chrysorrhoeaCan irritate skin
Isabella Tiger MothPyrrharctia isabella
Virginian Tiger MothSpilosoma virginicaCan irritate skin
Salt Marsh MothEstigmene acreaDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysschema_thetis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-28 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-28.