Bug FAQSpectacled Nettle Moth
Abrostola urentis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The spectacled nettle moth (Abrostola urentis) belongs to the Noctuidae family and has a wingspan of about 30 to 32 mm. It lives across North America from Nova Scotia to Vancouver Island and south to states such as North Carolina, Missouri, Texas, Colorado and Oregon, where its larvae feed on stinging nettle (Urtica dioica). Adults are active in June and July, producing a single generation each year depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Abrostola urentis is commonly called the spectacled nettle moth or variegated brindle and is a member of the Noctuidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The moth’s wingspan ranges from 30 to 32 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found throughout Canada and the United States, from Nova Scotia west to Vancouver Island and south to several U.S. states.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on the leaves of the stinging nettle plant, Urtica dioica.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults fly from June to July and produce one generation per year, timing that varies with location.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period for adults is June through July.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range covers North America, spanning eastern and western Canada and the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 30 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Minnesota, Vermont, Connecticut, Ohio, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Kansas.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. 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/Abrostola_urentis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.