Bug FAQMiranda Moth
Proxenus miranda · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The miranda moth (Proxenus miranda) is a Noctuidae moth with a wingspan of about 23 to 27 mm. It lives in moist open forests and grasslands across most of North America and flies from May to October in two generations.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Proxenus miranda, called the miranda moth or glistening rustic, belongs to the Noctuidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The adult’s wingspan measures roughly 23 to 27 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on various herbaceous plants such as dandelion, strawberry and alfalfa.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from May through October, producing two generations each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active from May to October, completing two generations annually.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is found throughout most of North America, from southern Canada down to Texas and east to South Carolina, and west to California, Arizona and the Rocky Mountains.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 44 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Kansas, Colorado, Montana, Pennsylvania, 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 miranda moths active?
Adults fly from May to October and have two generations each year.
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/Proxenus_miranda
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.