Bug FAQRagweed Flower Moth
Schinia rivulosa · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Scarce Meal Moth
The ragweed flower moth has a wingspan of about 25 to 31 mm. Adults are on the wing from July through October, depending on where they live. It occurs across much of North America, from Quebec and Florida in the east to Arizona, Oregon and North Dakota in the west.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Schinia rivulosa belongs to the moth family Noctuidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 25 to 31 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on plants of the Ambrosia genus.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There is one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults fly from July to October, varying with location.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes much of the United States and Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It is a member of the Noctuidae family, like other moths in that group.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 41 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Alabama, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are ragweed flower moths active?
Adults are active from July through October, depending on the region.
Source: Wikipedia
What do ragweed flower moth caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on Ambrosia species, commonly known as ragweed.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find ragweed flower moths?
They occur across North America, from Quebec and Florida to Arizona, Oregon and North Dakota.
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_rivulosa
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.