Bug FAQYellow Spragueia Moth
Spragueia apicalis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Yellow Spragueia
Males and females look different, with females about 16 mm wingspan and males about 17 mm. It lives in many southern and mid-western U.S. states and also occurs in Central America, Cuba and Peru. The larvae feed on the plant Gutierrezia sarothrae.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Males and females have different appearances.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Females have a wingspan of about 16 mm and males about 17 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on Gutierrezia sarothrae.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It occurs in many U.S. states across the South and Midwest. It is also found in Central America, Cuba and Peru.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 21 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, Texas, Kentucky.
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
Where is the yellow Spragueia moth found?
It is found in many southern and mid-western U.S. states, as well as in Central America, Cuba and Peru.
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/Spragueia_apicalis
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.