Bug FAQRidings’ Pitcherplant Moth
Exyra ridingsii · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Ridings's Pitcher Plant Moth
Ridings’ Pitcherplant Moth has a wingspan of about 24 to 31 mm. Its caterpillars eat the carnivorous plants Sarracenia flava and sometimes Sarracenia minor. Adults fly in the spring and are found from North Carolina down through Florida and Alabama.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
It belongs to the Noctuidae family of moths.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 24 to 31 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives in the southeastern United States, from North Carolina to Florida and Alabama.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on the pitcher plants Sarracenia flava and occasionally on Sarracenia minor.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing in spring.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The moth is active during the spring season.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes the same southeastern states: North Carolina, Florida, and Alabama.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 5 of 51 states and DC. Most records: South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When can I see adult Ridings’ Pitcherplant Moths?
Adults are active and flying in the spring.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars eat?
They feed on Sarracenia flava and sometimes on Sarracenia minor.
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/Exyra_ridingsii
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-28 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-28.