Bug FAQFalcate Sericoplaga
Sericoplaga externalis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Crambidae
It lives across the eastern and central United States, from Maryland and Illinois down to Florida and over to Texas. The caterpillars eat the fruit-tree Maclura pomifera. Adults can be seen flying in February, from April through October, and again in December.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on the tree Maclura pomifera.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active in February, April-October and December.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Found in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 28 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Illinois, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Arkansas.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are adult Falcate Sericoplaga moths active?
Adults are on wing in February, from April through October, and again in December.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Crambidae)
Box Tree MothCydalima perspectalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Celery Leaftier MothUdea rubigalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Elegant Grass-veneerMicrocrambus elegans
Hawaiian Beet Webworm MothSpoladea recurvalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Garden Grass-veneerChrysoteuchia culmellaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Bluegrass Webworm MothParapediasia teterrellusDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sericoplaga
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.