Bug FAQOcean Spray Fairy Moth
Adela septentrionella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Adelidae
The Ocean Spray Fairy Moth has forewings that measure about 4.5 to 5.7 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Forewing length ranges from 4.5 to 5.7 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on the buds of the plant Holodiscus discolor.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Pupation occurs in late March or April.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active from mid-April through mid-July.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes southern British Columbia, north-western Idaho, and the Transverse Range of southern California.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 5 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are adult Ocean Spray Fairy Moths active?
Adults fly from mid-April to mid-July.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Adelidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adela_septentrionella
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.