Bug FAQRush Veneer
Nomophila noctuella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Crambidae
Source: Wikipedia
Rush veneer moths have a wingspan of about 26 to 32 mm and a body length of 15 to 20 mm. The caterpillars feed on a variety of plants including clover, wheat and other grasses, making them a potential crop pest. They migrate across Europe and can have two to four generations each year, flying from May to September.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The forewings are long, narrow and usually brown with dark eight-shaped and kidney-shaped marks.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 26 to 32 mm. Body length is 15 to 20 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Pupae are made in cocoons among host-plant leaves or on stones. In Europe they migrate northward from southern Europe and North Africa.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae eat clover, Medicago, Trifolium, wheat, Vaccinium, Polygonum aviculare and other grasses.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There are two to four generations each year. The pupal stage overwinters.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from May through September, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
They are found across Europe, North Africa, Central Asia, Pakistan and North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 4 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Hawaii, Texas, Utah, Virginia.
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
Are they a problem for gardens or crops?
Yes, the caterpillars feed on many garden and field plants such as clover and wheat.
Source: Wikipedia
When can I expect to see them?
Adults fly from May to September, with the exact timing varying by region.
Source: Wikipedia
Do they migrate?
In Europe they migrate northward from southern areas and North Africa.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Crambidae)
Box Tree MothCydalima perspectalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Celery Leaftier MothUdea rubigalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Elegant Grass-veneerMicrocrambus elegans
Hawaiian Beet Webworm MothSpoladea recurvalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Garden Grass-veneerChrysoteuchia culmellaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Bluegrass Webworm MothParapediasia teterrellusDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nomophila_noctuella
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.