Bug FAQSoybean Looper Moth
Chrysodeixis includens · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Cutworm Moth, Soybean Looper
Source: Wikipedia
Adults have a wingspan of about 28 to 39 mm and belong to the Noctuidae family. They are found from southern Canada through the eastern and southern United States down to Central and South America, and they migrate seasonally. The caterpillars feed on a wide variety of plants, including soybeans, cotton, tobacco, tomatoes, cabbage and lettuce.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 28 to 39 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
The species is known to migrate.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae eat many plant families, such as Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Fabaceae and Solanaceae. Recorded food plants include soybeans, cotton, tobacco, tomato, cabbage and lettuce.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from April through November, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period spans April to November, varying with region.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
In North America it occurs in southern Quebec, southern Ontario and the eastern and southern United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It is a moth of the Noctuidae family, which may resemble other noctuid moths.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 42 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Illinois, North Carolina, Alabama, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are adult soybean loopers active?
Adults fly from April to November, depending on where they live.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants do the larvae feed on?
The caterpillars eat many crops, including soybeans, cotton, tobacco, tomato, cabbage and lettuce.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the soybean looper found?
It occurs from southern Canada through the eastern and southern United States down to Central and South America, and it migrates seasonally.
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/Chrysodeixis_includens
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.