Bug FAQSpeckled Black Pyla Moth
Pyla fusca · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Pyralidae
Also called: Brown Knot-horn
The speckled black Pyla moth has a wingspan of about 25 to 28 mm. Its forewings are dark brown with grey-whitish speckles, two darker discal dots, and faint pale lines; the hindwings are uniformly dark. Adults fly from June to August and are often found in partially burnt heathland, where their dark colour provides camouflage; the larvae feed on Erica and Vaccinium plants.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The forewings are dark fuscous with grey-whitish speckles, two darker discal dots, and obscure pale lines edged darker; hindwings are fuscous.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 25 to 28 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Adults are commonly seen in heath areas that have been partly burnt, matching their blackish coloration.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on plants of the Erica and Vaccinium genera.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from June through August, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period spans June to August, varying with region.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
This species is the only Pyla moth found outside North America, and it may be placed in its own genus Matilella.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It is distinct from other Pyla species, which occur only in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 18 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Oregon, Washington, Michigan, Alaska, Montana, Maine, Minnesota, 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 speckled black Pyla moths active?
Adults fly from June to August, with exact timing depending on the location.
Source: Wikipedia
What does this moth look like?
It has dark brown forewings speckled with grey-white, two darker discal dots, and faint pale lines; the hindwings are uniformly dark.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is this moth usually found?
It is often seen in partially burnt heathland, where its dark colour provides camouflage.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Pyralidae)
Indian-Meal MothPlodia interpunctellaCan damage your home
Greater Wax MothGalleria mellonella
Mediterranean Flour MothEphestia kuehniellaCan damage your home
Meal mothPyralis farinalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Bee MothAphomia sociellaNuisance, not dangerous
Yellow-fringed Dolichomia MothHypsopygia olinalisSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyla_fusca
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-28 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-28.