Bug FAQThird Flower Moth
Schinia tertia · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The third flower moth has a wingspan of about 25 mm. It lives in the western United States, from Minnesota and Illinois eastward to Texas, west to California, and north to Idaho. Adults fly from April through October, producing two generations each year.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan is roughly 25 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on plants such as Ericameria, Isocoma pluriflora, and Liatris.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active from April through October, producing two generations.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 18 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado, California, Nebraska, Minnesota.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are third flower moths active?
Adults are on the wing from April to October, with two generations 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/Schinia_tertia
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.