Bug FAQTufted Sedge Moth
Hypocoena inquinata · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The tufted sedge moth has a wingspan of about 20 to 28 mm. Adults are seen flying in July and August. Its caterpillars eat sedge plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 20 to 28 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives across Canada from Newfoundland to British Columbia and reaches south to Connecticut, Ohio, and Colorado.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on sedges.
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.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes Canada coast-to-coast and extends into the northern United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 17 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Wyoming, Michigan, Massachusetts, Montana, Minnesota, Connecticut, Oregon, 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
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/Hypocoena_inquinata
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-27 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-27.