Bug FAQOccult Graphic
Drasteria occulta · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Occult Drasteria Moth
The adult has a wingspan of about 34 mm. It lives in coastal areas of several North American states, including Maine, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Texas, and the larvae feed on Vaccinium plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The adult’s wingspan measures roughly 34 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found in coastal regions of Maine, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on plants of the Vaccinium genus.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
When fully grown, larvae reach about 26 mm in length and display brown coloration with light-brown and blackish lines, plus a brown head with white stripes.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its North American range includes the coastal areas of the listed states.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 7 of 51 states and DC. Most records: New Jersey, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Connecticut, Maine, Virginia.
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
Where can I find this moth?
It occurs in coastal areas of Maine, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
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/Drasteria_occulta
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.