Bug FAQPitcher Plant Mining Moth
Exyra semicrocea · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The adult moth has a wingspan of about 16 to 26 mm. Its caterpillars feed on several pitcher-plant species, including Sarracenia minor, rubra, alata, leucophylla and psittacina.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 16 mm to 26 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae eat the pitcher plants Sarracenia minor, S. rubra, S. alata, S. leucophylla and S. psittacina.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Native to the United States, spanning northern North Carolina, Florida and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 9 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Mississippi, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kansas.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do the larvae of the pitcher-plant mining moth eat?
The caterpillars feed on several pitcher-plant species such as Sarracenia minor, rubra, alata, leucophylla and psittacina.
Source: Wikipedia
How big is the pitcher-plant mining moth?
Adults have a wingspan between 16 and 26 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is this moth found in the United States?
It occurs from northern North Carolina southward to Florida and westward to Texas.
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/Exyra_semicrocea
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.