Bug FAQOrange Mint Moth
Pyrausta orphisalis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Crambidae
Also called: Orange-spotted Pyrausta
The orange mint moth has a wingspan of about 15 to 17 millimetres. It lives across North America from Newfoundland to British Columbia and south to Florida and New Mexico. Its caterpillars feed on mint plants, including Monarda, and the adults are on the wing from mid-June to late July.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan is roughly 15 to 17 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae eat various mint species such as Monarda.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults fly from mid-June through late July, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 38 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Vermont, New York, Michigan, Wisconsin.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are orange mint moths active?
Adults are on the wing from mid-June to late July.
Source: Wikipedia
What do orange mint moth caterpillars eat?
They feed on mint plants, including Monarda.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the orange mint moth found?
It occurs across North America from Newfoundland to British Columbia and south to Florida and New Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Crambidae)
Box Tree MothCydalima perspectalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Celery Leaftier MothUdea rubigalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
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/Pyrausta_orphisalis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.