Bug FAQPurple-lined Sallow
Pyrrhia exprimens · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The purple-lined sallow is a noctuid moth with a wingspan of about 35 to 38 mm. It lives across much of Canada and the United States and also occurs in parts of Europe and Asia.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The purple-lined sallow belongs to the moth family Noctuidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 35 to 38 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on Polygonum species, Aconitum septentrionale and many other plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from May to August.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
They are active during the late spring and summer months.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to much of Canada and the United States, from the Atlantic provinces west to British Columbia and south to the southwestern states.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 32 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Minnesota, Michigan, North Carolina, Colorado, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Montana, Washington.
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
What do the caterpillars eat?
They feed on Polygonum plants, Aconitum septentrionale and a wide variety of other plants.
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/Pyrrhia_exprimens
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.