Bug FAQThe Flame
Axylia putris · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Flame
Source: Wikipedia
The Flame moth has a wingspan of about 30 to 36 mm and creamy-buff forewings with black streaks along the front edge.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Forewings are creamy-buff, sometimes with a red tint, and show black streaking along the costa; hindwings are whitish with a dark marginal line.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The adult’s wingspan ranges from 30 to 36 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs across Europe and eastward through the Palearctic to Armenia, western Siberia, Amur, Korea and Japan. Its range also reaches northern India.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The species overwinters as a pupa.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are nocturnal flyers in June and July, with a possible second brood in September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Native distribution matches its habitat: Europe through the Palearctic to Japan and northern India.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
The form triseriata Moore, found in northern India, Japan and Korea, is larger and darker than the typical form.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 1 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Wisconsin.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Does the Flame moth damage crops?
Yes, its larvae feed on cereals and other herbaceous plants, making it a crop pest.
Source: Wikipedia
When can I see adult Flame moths?
Adults fly at night during June and July, and sometimes again in September.
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/Axylia_putris
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.