Bug FAQOregon Cycnia Moth
Cycnia oregonensis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Oregon Cycnia
The Oregon Cycnia moth is a uniformly coloured moth found across most of North America, from the Mexican border to central Canada, with forewings about 19 to 20 mm long. Its larvae feed on Apocynum species and a western Washington subspecies (tristis) is the only known population in that state.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Adults are almost uniform in colour and pattern across most of their range. They are noticeably greyer and have fewer markings than other populations.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The forewings measure about 19 to 20 mm long.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They live throughout North America, from the Pacific to the Atlantic and from Mexico’s border up to central Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on plants in the Apocynum genus.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 42 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Pennsylvania, Montana, Ohio, Kansas, Massachusetts, Colorado, South Dakota.
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
What do the larvae of the Oregon Cycnia moth eat?
The larvae feed on Apocynum species.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the Oregon Cycnia moth found?
It occurs across most of North America, from the coast-to-coast United States and into central Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
Is there a similar moth in Washington?
Yes, the subspecies tristis lives near Olympia and is the only known population west of the Cascades in Washington.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Erebidae)
Spongy MothLymantria disparDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Webworm MothHyphantria cuneaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Brown-tail MothEuproctis chrysorrhoeaCan irritate skin
Isabella Tiger MothPyrrharctia isabella
Virginian Tiger MothSpilosoma virginicaCan irritate skin
Salt Marsh MothEstigmene acreaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycnia_oregonensis
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.