Bug FAQSchinia sexplagiata
Schinia sexplagiata · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The adult moth has a wingspan of about 21 mm. It occurs in western North America, reaching eastward to western Texas. Its caterpillars feed on the plant Ambrosia psilostachya.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The adult’s wingspan measures roughly 21 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae eat the plant Ambrosia psilostachya.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is found across western North America and extends east to western Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 11 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Colorado, New Mexico, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Texas, Utah, Kansas.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
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_sexplagiata
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.