Bug FAQStraight-lined Looper Moth
Pseudeva purpurigera · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Straight-lined Looper
Its wingspan measures about 28 to 34 mm. It lives in the Rocky Mountains from southwestern Alberta down to New Mexico and eastward to New England and Newfoundland, and the caterpillars feed on Thalictrum plants.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Pseudeva purpurigera belongs to the Noctuidae family of moths.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The adult’s wingspan ranges from 28 to 34 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on plants of the genus Thalictrum.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There is one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from July through August, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes the Rocky Mountains region of western North America and extends eastward across the United States and Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 25 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Connecticut, Minnesota, Montana, Massachusetts, Colorado, Ohio, Wisconsin.
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
Questions people ask
When can I see adult western straight-lined looper moths?
Adults are active from July to August, varying by region.
Source: Wikipedia
How many generations does this moth have each year?
It produces one generation per year.
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/Pseudeva_purpurigera
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.