Bug FAQProtorthodes texana
Protorthodes texana · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
It lives in steppe regions, wet meadows and alfalfa fields across the western United States from Washington and Oregon down to southern California, Arizona, and the Gulf Coast of Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The forewing length ranges from 12 to 14 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It inhabits steppe regions, wet meadows and alfalfa fields.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active in early spring (March) and again in late summer through fall (mid-August to mid-November).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 8 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Arizona, Oregon, Texas, Washington, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico.
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
Questions people ask
When are Protorthodes texana moths active?
They fly in two periods: once in March and again from mid-August through mid-November.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find Protorthodes texana?
They occur in steppe, wet meadow and alfalfa field habitats across the western United States, from Washington and Oregon down to southern California, Arizona, and the Texas Gulf Coast.
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/Nudorthodes_texana
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 2026-10-27.