Bug FAQNorthern Herpetogramma
Herpetogramma aquilonalis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Crambidae
Northern Herpetogramma moths have a wingspan of about 23-27 mm and are mostly white with gray or brown markings. Adults fly from mid-June to mid-September, with numbers peaking in late July and early August, and the species can produce a second generation in long summers.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Males usually have longer wings and darker markings than females, plus gray setae near the thorax. Females are generally smaller and have a more square tip on the forewing.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The average wingspan ranges from 23 to 27 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs in boreal habitats.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae roll leaves of many plant species.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
It is the only Canadian species in its genus that can have a second generation during long summers.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from mid-June to mid-September, with a peak from mid-July to early August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
In the United States it occurs in Washington, California, and throughout the Appalachian Mountains from New York to Georgia.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Males have longer wings and darker markings than females, while females are smaller with a squarer forewing tip.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 23 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Washington, Oregon, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Massachusetts, New Hampshire.
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
How can I tell males from females?
Males have longer wings, darker markings, and gray setae near the thorax; females are smaller and have a more square forewing tip.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Crambidae)
Box Tree MothCydalima perspectalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Celery Leaftier MothUdea rubigalis
Elegant Grass-veneerMicrocrambus elegans
Hawaiian Beet Webworm MothSpoladea recurvalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Garden Grass-veneerChrysoteuchia culmellaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Bluegrass Webworm MothParapediasia teterrellusDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herpetogramma_aquilonalis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.