Bug FAQSnakeweed Flower Moth
Schinia ciliata · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The Snakeweed Flower Moth has a wingspan of about 22 mm. Its larvae feed on the plant Gutierrezia sarothrae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan is roughly 22 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae eat the plant Gutierrezia sarothrae.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes southern California, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, western Kansas, Oklahoma, and parts of Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 7 of 51 states and DC. Most records: New Mexico, Colorado, California, Arizona, Texas, Utah, Oklahoma.
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
Questions people ask
What do the caterpillars of this moth eat?
The larvae feed on Gutierrezia sarothrae.
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_ciliata
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-27 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-27.