Bug FAQSaucy Beauty
Phaloesia saucia · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
The species Phaloesia saucia was first described by Francis Walker in 1854. Adults feed on nectar from plants such as Chromolaena odorata, Aloysia gratissima and Sabal mexicana, while the larvae eat Tournefortia species.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Francis Walker first described the genus and species in 1854.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on plants in the genus Tournefortia, including Tournefortia volubilis.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing for most of the year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults can be observed flying nearly year-round.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas and extends south to Venezuela.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 1 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas.
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 are adult Saucy Beauty moths active?
Adults are on wing nearly year round, so they can be seen throughout most of the year.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on Tournefortia species such as Tournefortia volubilis.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Erebidae)
Spongy MothLymantria disparDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Webworm MothHyphantria cuneaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Brown-tail MothEuproctis chrysorrhoeaCan irritate skin
Isabella Tiger MothPyrrharctia isabella
Virginian Tiger MothSpilosoma virginicaCan irritate skin
Salt Marsh MothEstigmene acreaDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phaloesia
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.