Bug FAQVeined Ctenucha Moth
Ctenucha venosa · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Veined Ctenucha
The veined ctenucha moth belongs to the family Erebidae and has forewings 14 to 16 mm long. It lives in the southwestern United States and parts of Central and South America, and its caterpillars eat grasses such as sideoats grama. Adults appear in several generations from April through November.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The forewings measure about 14 to 16 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found from southern Nevada and Arizona east to Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on various grasses, notably sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula).
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There are several generations each year, with adults on the wing from April to November.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active from spring through late fall.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range also includes Mexico, Guatemala, Panama and Venezuela.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 7 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, California.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are veined ctenucha moths active?
Adults can be seen from April through November, covering spring, summer and early fall.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Erebidae)
Spongy MothLymantria disparDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Webworm MothHyphantria cuneaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Brown-tail MothEuproctis chrysorrhoeaCan irritate skin
Isabella Tiger MothPyrrharctia isabella
Virginian Tiger MothSpilosoma virginicaCan irritate skin
Salt Marsh MothEstigmene acreaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ctenucha_venosa
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.