Bug FAQGrateful Midget
Elaphria grata · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Grateful Midget Moth
The grateful midget moth has a wingspan of about 20 to 26 mm. It lives across many U.S. states and parts of Canada, including Alabama, Ontario, and Texas. Adults fly from April through October and produce several generations each year.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Elaphria grata, called the grateful midget moth, belongs to the Noctuidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 20 to 26 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
The species is found in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on herbaceous plants, oak trees, and dead leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are active from April to October, with several generations each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Flight period spans April through October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Recorded locations include many U.S. states and Ontario, Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 37 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Maryland, Alabama, Virginia, Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania.
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
Does the grateful midget moth damage homes or crops?
There is no source indicating it harms buildings, food, fabric, or any plants.
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/Elaphria_grata
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.