Bug FAQWood-colored Apamea Moth
Apamea lignicolora · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Wood-colored Apamea
The wood-colored Apamea moth has a wingspan of roughly 45 to 50 mm. Its caterpillars feed on a variety of grasses, including couch grass (Agropyron repens).
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The adult’s wingspan ranges from about 45 to 50 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae eat several grass species, such as couch grass (Agropyron repens).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to North America and occurs throughout much of Canada and the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 36 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Minnesota, Michigan, Montana, Colorado, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, South Dakota.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do the caterpillars eat?
They feed on various grasses, including couch grass (Agropyron repens).
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/Apamea_lignicolora
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.