Bug FAQOregon Gem Moth
Heliothis oregonica · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Oregon Gem
The Oregon gem moth has a wingspan of about 24 to 30 mm. Adults are active from June through August. It lives in western North America, from Alberta’s Peace River region down the mountains to California and Arizona, with a separate group in north-central Quebec.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Heliothis oregonica, called the Oregon gem, belongs to the Noctuidae family of moths.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges between 24 and 30 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults fly from June to August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
A disjunct population also occurs in north-central Quebec.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 12 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Colorado, Wyoming, California, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington.
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
Where can I find Oregon gem moths?
They occur from Alberta’s Peace River region down the western mountains to California and Arizona, with another group in north-central Quebec.
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/Heliothis_oregonica
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.