Bug FAQPale-winged Midget
Elaphria alapallida · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Pale-winged Midget Moth
The pale-winged midget moth (Elaphria alapallida) has a wingspan of about 24 to 28 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Elaphria alapallida belongs to the Noctuidae family of moths.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan measures roughly 24 to 28 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae are thought to feed on boxelder (Acer negundo), similar to a related species.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from May through July, with one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults appear from May to July.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes southern Canada and the northern United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It was split from Elaphria festivoides in 2003 and can be mistaken for that species.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 34 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Massachusetts, Vermont, New York, Connecticut, Maine, Colorado.
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 it apart from similar moths?
It was separated from Elaphria festivoides in 2003, so it may look similar to that species.
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/Elaphria_alapallida
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.