Bug FAQThoughtful Apamea
Apamea cogitata · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The moth’s wingspan is roughly 40 mm. Adults are on the wing from June to September, varying by region.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
It was once treated as a subspecies of Apamea dubitans.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan measures about 40 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There is a single generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults fly between June and September, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to North America, spanning Canada and the western United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It was formerly considered a subspecies of Apamea dubitans.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 18 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Alaska, Montana, Oregon, Wyoming, Washington, Idaho, 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 United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are adult Thoughtful Apamea moths active?
Adults are on the wing from June through September, varying by region.
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/Apamea_cogitata
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.