Bug FAQWild Forget-me-not Moth
Gnophaela latipennis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Sierran Percopid
The wild forget-me-not moth has forewings about 26 mm long (roughly one inch). Its wings are black with a distinctive pattern of white spots on both fore- and hindwings. It lives in open mixed hardwood-conifer forests, oak woodlands, riparian areas near creeks, ponderosa pine forests, and mountain meadows in Oregon and California, and adults fly from late May through early August.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The forewings have a single small white spot near the base and four white spots in the middle and near the edge; the hindwings show three white spots in the middle and two near the edge.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Forewing length is about 26 mm (1 in).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Found in open mixed hardwood-conifer forests, oak woodlands, open riparian zones near creeks, open ponderosa pine forests, and mountain meadows.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on plants such as Cynoglossum grande, Cynoglossum occidentale, Hackelia californica, Mertensia species, and Myosotis species.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The species overwinters as a second-instar larva.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active from late May to early August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Native to western North America, specifically Oregon and California.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 5 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, Arizona.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When can I see adult wild forget-me-not moths?
Adults are on the wing from late May through early August.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants do the caterpillars eat?
They feed on species of Cynoglossum, Hackelia, Mertensia, and Myosotis.
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/Gnophaela_latipennis
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.