Bug FAQThistle Stem Borer Moth
Papaipema arctivorens · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Northern Burdock Borer Moth, Northern Burdock Borer
The adult moth has a wingspan of about 27 to 39 millimetres. It lives across eastern North America, from Quebec down to northern Georgia and west to Missouri, reaching up into Minnesota and Ontario. The caterpillars eat plants such as burdock, thistles, teasel, and occasionally verbena and mullein species.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 27 to 39 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on burdock, thistles, teasel, and sometimes verbena and mullein.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Native to eastern Canada and the eastern United States, spanning Quebec to northern Georgia and west to Missouri.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 28 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Indiana.
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/Papaipema_arctivorens
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.