Bug FAQVestal
Rhodometra sacraria · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Geometridae
Vestal moths have a wingspan of about 16 to 28 mm, with forewings 12 to 14 mm long; later generations tend to be on the smaller side. They show a distinctive pink or mahogany diagonal stripe on a yellow-cream upperwing and plain whitish hindwings. These moths live in meadows, forest clearings, gardens and urban areas across Europe, the Near East, North Africa, much of Asia, and parts of South America.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The upper wings have a pink or mahogany diagonal stripe on a yellow-cream background, while the hind wings are plain whitish.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 16 mm to 28 mm; forewing length is 12 to 14 mm, with later generations usually smaller.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are found in meadows, forest clearings, paths, gardens and urban settings.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from April through October in the Northern Hemisphere.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Their range includes most of Europe, the Near East, North Africa, the Afrotropical region, large parts of Asia, and parts of South America such as Chile and Argentina.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Same family (Geometridae)
Willow BeautyPeribatodes rhomboidaria
Pale BeautyCampaea perlataDamages trees, gardens or crops
Large Lace-border MothScopula limboundataDamages trees, gardens or crops
Riband WaveIdaea aversata
Yellow Shell MothCamptogramma bilineata
Large Maple Spanworm MothProchoerodes lineolaDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodometra_sacraria
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.