Bug FAQParabagrotis insularis
Parabagrotis insularis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The forewings measure about 13 to 16 mm long. It lives along the Pacific coast of North America from southern Vancouver Island down to the California-Mexico border. Adults are active from spring through fall, roughly April to October.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Forewing length ranges from 13 mm to 16 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found on the Pacific coast of North America.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults fly from April through October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes southern Vancouver Island, the coast of California, and reaches the border with Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 8 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah.
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 is this species found?
It occurs along the Pacific coast of North America, from southern Vancouver Island down to near the Mexico border.
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/Parabagrotis_insularis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.