Bug FAQRabbitbush Flower Moth
Schinia unimacula · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Schinia unimacula
The rabbitbush flower moth has a wingspan of about 25 mm. It lives in the western United States, from central Arizona and New Mexico northward to Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon, Idaho and Washington. Its caterpillars feed on several Ericameria species such as E. nauseosa and E. paniculata. Adults are on the wing from July through October.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
It belongs to the Noctuidae family of moths.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan measures roughly 25 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found across the western U.S., from central Arizona and New Mexico up to Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon, Idaho and Washington.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on plants in the Ericameria genus, including E. nauseosa and E. paniculata.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are active from July to October.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period for adults spans July through October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes the same western states listed for its habitat.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 13 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Colorado, New Mexico, California, Utah, Oregon, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada.
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 rabbitbush flower moths active?
Adults are on the wing from July through October.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars eat?
They feed on Ericameria species such as E. nauseosa and E. paniculata.
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/Schinia_unimacula
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.