Bug FAQPlagiomimicus tepperi
Plagiomimicus tepperi · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The forewing measures about 12.5 to 13.5 mm in length. It occurs in western North America, including the United States and Mexico. Its larvae feed on plants in the genus Brickellia.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Forewing length ranges from 12.5 to 13.5 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The species uses Brickellia as its host plant.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is found in western North America, both in the United States and in Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 11 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, California, Colorado, Utah, Washington, Kansas.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
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/Polenta_tepperi
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-27 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.