Bug FAQRoadside Sallow
Metaxaglaea viatica · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Roadside Sallow Moth
The adult moth has a wingspan of about 5 cm. It occurs across many U.S. states from the Northeast to the South and Midwest. Adults are on the wing from September through March.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan is roughly 50 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae eat the leaves of apple, crab apple, mountain ash and cherry.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults have been seen flying from September to March.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Found throughout North America, recorded in dozens of U.S. states.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 27 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, New Jersey, Kansas.
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
Where is this moth found?
It has been recorded in many U.S. states across the North American region.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants do the larvae feed on?
The caterpillars eat apple, crab apple, mountain ash and cherry leaves.
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/Metaxaglaea_viatica
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.