Bug FAQPlanthopper Parasite Moth
Fulgoraecia exigua · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Epipyropidae
The planthopper parasite moth has a wingspan of about 8 to 13 mm. It lives across many U.S. states from New Jersey and Pennsylvania down to central Florida and west to California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Missouri. Its caterpillars feed on the blood-like haemolymph of planthoppers and cicadas.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The species is called Epipyrops exigua or Fulgoraecia exigua and belongs to the family Epipyropidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults have a wingspan ranging from 8 to 13 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It has been recorded in many parts of North America, from the northeastern states down to central Florida and across to the western states.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on the haemolymph of planthoppers and cicadas.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The species was first described by Henry Edwards in 1882. Adults are active from June through October.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults can be seen on the wing between June and October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The moth is native to North America, with records from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, Missouri, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 30 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Indiana, Mississippi, Alabama.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are adult planthopper parasite moths active?
Adults are on the wing from June to October.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars of this moth eat?
The caterpillars feed on the haemolymph of planthoppers and cicadas.
Source: Wikipedia
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epipyrops_exigua
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.