Bug FAQPalpita arsaltealis
Palpita arsaltealis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Crambidae
The moth has a wingspan of about 16 mm. It occurs in the northeastern United States down to South Carolina and also in Quebec and Ontario. Adults are flying from spring through late summer.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan is roughly 16 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from spring until late summer.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Found in the northeastern U.S., extending south to South Carolina, and in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 18 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Tennessee, Michigan, Georgia, Connecticut, Mississippi, Kansas, Louisiana, Alabama.
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
Questions people ask
When are adult Palpita arsaltealis active?
Adults are on the wing from spring through late summer.
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/Palpita_arsaltealis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-28 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-28.