Bug FAQYellow Three-Spot
Apamea helva · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Yellow Three-spot Moth
The Yellow Three-Spot moth measures about 35 to 41 mm across the wings. Adults are on the wing from July to September, depending on where they live.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Adults are on wing from July through September, varying by location.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 35 to 41 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on various grasses.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are active from July to September, depending on the region.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period for adults is July-September, varying with location.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 33 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Colorado, New York, 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 are Yellow Three-Spot moths active?
Adults are on the wing from July through September, with timing depending on the local area.
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_helva
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.