Bug FAQSordid Flower Moth
Schinia sordida · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The sordid flower moth has a wingspan of about 16 to 20 mm and a reddish-brown body with chocolate-brown wings marked by pale yellow tips and a pinkish centre. Its caterpillars feed on the plants Pityopsis pinifolia and Haplopappus divaricatus, and the species produces one generation each year. It occurs in the United States from North Carolina through central Florida and west to Kansas and Texas, with records also from Alabama.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The moth’s wingspan ranges from 16 to 20 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on the plants Pityopsis pinifolia and Haplopappus divaricatus.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There is one generation of this moth each year.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to the United States, spanning from the Atlantic states to the central southern plains.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 15 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, North Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, Kansas, Oklahoma, Alabama.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: 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 the sordid flower moth eat?
The caterpillars feed on Pityopsis pinifolia and Haplopappus divaricatus.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the sordid flower moth found?
It occurs from North Carolina to central Florida and west to Kansas and Texas, with records in Alabama.
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_sordida
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-27 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-27.