Bug FAQMarbled-green Leuconycta Moth
Leuconycta lepidula · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Marbled-green Leuconycta
The marbled-green leuconycta moth belongs to the Noctuidae family and is known by several common names. Its wings measure about 30 mm across and it lives across much of North America, from the Atlantic provinces down to the Carolinas and west to Texas and Alberta. Adults fly from May through August, producing one generation each year, while the caterpillars eat common dandelion plants.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Leuconycta lepidula, called the marbled-green leuconycta moth, is a member of the Noctuidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The moth’s wingspan is roughly 30 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs throughout North America, from Nova Scotia down to North Carolina, extending west to Texas and north into Alberta.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on dandelion species, including the common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale).
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from May to August, producing a single generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period for adults spans May through August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range covers the same North American region from the Atlantic coast to the central United States and up into Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 33 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Vermont, Maine, Ohio, Michigan, Louisiana, 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
When can I see adult marbled-green leuconycta moths?
Adults are active from May through August, with one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the larvae eat?
The caterpillars feed on various dandelion species, such as the common dandelion.
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/Leuconycta_lepidula
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 2026-10-24.