Bug FAQAmbiguous Moth
Lascoria ambigualis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
The ambiguous moth has a wingspan of about 21 to 25 mm and its forewings are brown, sometimes with a purple or gray tint and a dark straight band across them. It lives across the United States from the Great Lakes region to the Atlantic coast, south to Florida and Texas, and is most often seen in shrubby fields, woodlands and forests.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The forewings are brown, occasionally showing purple or gray shades, and always have a dark straight band across them. Males have a notch on the distal edge of each wing with a black spot at the notch’s head; females lack these features.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults have a wingspan ranging from 21 to 25 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are found in many habitats but are most common in shrubby fields, woodlands and forests.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
They have also been raised on dead leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from April through September. In Connecticut there are two generations per year, while in Missouri there are multiple broods.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active from April to September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
In the United States they occur from Wisconsin east to Maine and south to Florida and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 39 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Ohio, Alabama, Virginia, Vermont, New York.
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
When are ambiguous moths active?
Adults are on the wing from April through September.
Source: Wikipedia
How many generations do they have?
In Connecticut there are two generations per year, and in Missouri there are multiple broods.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the larvae eat?
The larvae feed on Chrysanthemum, Aster, blackberry, Verbesina and can also be raised on dead leaves.
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/Lascoria_ambigualis
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 2026-10-22.