Bug FAQWavy Chestnut Υ Moth
Autographa mappa · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Wavy Chestnut Y Moth, Wavy Chestnut Y
The wavy chestnut Y moth belongs to the Noctuidae family and is known as Autographa mappa. Its wingspan measures about 35 to 40 millimetres. Adults fly from June through August, and the species has one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Autographa mappa, called the wavy chestnut Y, is a moth in the Noctuidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The moth’s wingspan ranges from 35 to 40 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives across wooded parts of Canada from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island and south to Maine, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Colorado and Oregon.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on nettles (Urtica) and Vaccinium species.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There is a single generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adult moths are on the wing between June and August, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range covers North America from the Atlantic provinces to the Pacific coast and down into the western mountains.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 16 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Colorado, Michigan, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Maine, Minnesota, Vermont.
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
When can I see adult wavy chestnut Y moths?
Adults are active from June through August, varying with region.
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/Autographa_mappa
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.