Bug FAQPearly Indigo Borer
Sitochroa dasconalis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Crambidae
The Pearly Indigo Borer lives in the United States from Massachusetts west to Illinois, south to Florida and west to Texas. Adults are on the wing from April through July. Its larvae feed on the plant Baptisia tinctoria.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on Baptisia tinctoria.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults have been recorded flying between April and July.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes many U.S. states from the Northeast to the South and the central south.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 13 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, Texas, Rhode Island, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma.
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
When are adult Pearly Indigo Borers active?
Adults are on the wing from April through July.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the larvae of Pearly Indigo Borer eat?
The larvae feed on the plant Baptisia tinctoria.
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/Sitochroa_dasconalis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-29 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-29.