Bug FAQSchinia cupes
Schinia cupes · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The adult moth has a wingspan of roughly 30 mm. Adults fly from March through June, with a smaller second generation from late July to September.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan is about 30 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars eat the plants Camissonia claviformis and Castilleja exserta.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from March to June. A second, smaller generation flies from late July to September.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults appear from March through June. A later, smaller flight period occurs from late July to September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 9 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, California, Kansas, Oklahoma, Georgia.
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 Schinia cupes?
Adults are active from March to June, and a second, smaller group appears from late July to September.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the larvae eat?
The larvae feed on the plants Camissonia claviformis and Castilleja exserta.
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_cupes
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.