Desert-moth
Guides
Abegesta remellalis
white-trimmed abegesta, white-trimmed brown pyralid moth
A medium-sized crambid moth found in arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States and Mexico. Adults are active during summer months and are readily identified by the distinctive white markings on otherwise brownish-orange forewings. The species was first described in 1899 and remains relatively well-documented through recent observations.
Achyra occidentalis
Achyra occidentalis is a crambid moth described by Packard in 1873. It exhibits two distinct color morphs: a dark form and a pale form, with adults active during different periods of the year. The species is restricted to arid regions of the southwestern United States. Forewing length ranges from 10–12 mm.
Agapema anona
greasewood silkmoth, Mexican agapema, Condalia Silk Moth
Agapema anona is a giant silkmoth in the family Saturniidae, found in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Larvae feed exclusively on plants in the genus Condalia, while adults lack functional mouthparts and do not feed. The species inhabits arid environments including desert foothills and alluvial fans. Three subspecies are recognized, distinguished by geographic distribution.
Aleptina aleptivoides
Aleptina aleptivoides is a small noctuid moth described from North America in 1912. The species belongs to the subfamily Condicinae, a group of generally inconspicuous moths with limited ecological documentation. Available records suggest it occurs in arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States and adjacent Mexico. The specific epithet "aleptivoides" references its resemblance to the related genus Aleptina, indicating taxonomic confusion or similarity at the time of description.
Anania labeculalis
Anania labeculalis is a small crambid moth described by George Duryea Hulst in 1886. It is restricted to the southwestern United States, with records from Arizona to western Texas. The species is characterized by its ochreous yellow forewings with brownish subterminal and costal shading, and contrasting white-based hindwings.
Argentostiria
Argentostiria is a monotypic moth genus in the family Noctuidae, established by Robert W. Poole in 1995. The genus contains a single species, Argentostiria koebelei, described by Riley in 1893. It is endemic to the Mojave Desert of the United States.
Bucculatrix enceliae
Bucculatrix enceliae is a minute moth in the family Bucculatricidae, described by Annette Frances Braun in 1963. The species is restricted to the southwestern United States, with confirmed records from California and Arizona. Adults are active in spring, and the larvae are specialized leaf miners of Encelia farinosa, a desert shrub in the sunflower family.
Chionodes pinguicula
Chionodes pinguicula is a small gelechiid moth described by Meyrick in 1929. It occurs in arid and semi-arid regions of western North America. The species has a wingspan of 13–15 mm. Larvae are known to feed on Atriplex canescens (fourwing saltbush), a common shrub in desert habitats.
Cisthene picta
Pictured Lichen Moth
Cisthene picta is a small lichen moth in the family Erebidae, described by Barnes and McDunnough in 1918. Adults are active from August to October in desert habitats of the southwestern United States. The species has a wingspan of approximately 18 mm.
Conchylodes octonalis
Eight-barred Lygropia Moth
Conchylodes octonalis, described by Zeller in 1873, is a small snout moth in the family Crambidae. It occurs across western and central North America in low-elevation arid environments. The species is named for the eight dark transverse bars on its wings. Adults are active from late March through October, and larvae feed on Heliotropium curassavicum.
Cornifrons actualis
Cornifrons actualis is a small crambid moth described in 1918 from western North America. Adults are active in late winter through spring and again in late summer. The species is restricted to desert habitats across the southwestern United States and adjacent regions.
Dasyblemma
Dasyblemma is a monotypic moth genus in the family Erebidae, established by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1923. It contains a single species, Dasyblemma straminea, known only from California. The genus was formerly classified in subfamily Acontiinae of Noctuidae.
Digrammia colorata
creosote moth
Digrammia colorata, commonly known as the creosote moth, is a species of geometrid moth in the family Geometridae. It is native to arid regions of western North America where its larvae feed on creosote bush (Larrea tridentata), a relationship reflected in its common name. The species has been documented in Middle America and North America according to distribution records. It is one of approximately 4,000 species in the genus Digrammia, which are generally small to medium-sized moths with cryptic coloration.
Eupackardia
Eupackardia is a monotypic moth genus in the family Saturniidae, containing a single species, Eupackardia calleta (the calleta silkmoth). The genus was erected by Theodore Dru Alison Cockerell in 1912. The sole species is notable for its striking black-and-white wing pattern with red thoracic markings, and its caterpillars possess bright aposematic coloration with chemical defenses.
Eupackardia calleta
Calleta Silkmoth, Ocotillo Silkmoth
Eupackardia calleta, the Calleta silkmoth, is a distinctive Saturniidae species and the sole member of its genus. Found in the southwestern United States and Mexico, this moth is strongly associated with ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens), which serves as its primary larval host. Adults are nocturnal and attracted to light. The species is notable for its striking appearance and restricted distribution tied to desert and semi-arid habitats.
Heliocheilus toralis
Heliocheilus toralis is a small noctuid moth found in arid regions of the southwestern United States. The species was described by Grote in 1881 and is characterized by a wingspan of 23–25 mm. It belongs to the subfamily Heliothinae, a group whose larvae often feed on developing seeds.
Heliothelopsis unicoloralis
Heliothelopsis unicoloralis is a small crambid moth described in 1914. It is known from a single U.S. state (Arizona) with limited collection records. The species exhibits distinctive dark coloration with subtle metallic and light speckling.
Hypopta palmata
Hypopta palmata is a small cossid moth described in 1910 from arid regions of the southwestern United States and adjacent Mexico. Adults fly during the warmer months, with males notably smaller than females. The species is associated with desert and desert mountain habitats.
Iridopsis sanctissima
Iridopsis sanctissima is a species of geometrid moth described by Barnes and McDunnough in 1917. It is a member of the subfamily Ennominae, a diverse group of inchworm moths whose larvae are characterized by their distinctive looping locomotion. The species has been recorded from arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Its small size and limited distribution suggest it may be associated with specific host plants in desert scrub or chaparral habitats, though these relationships remain poorly documented.
Lipocosma albinibasalis
Fancy Lipocosma
Lipocosma albinibasalis is a small crambid moth described by Munroe in 1995. It occurs in arid regions of southwestern North America including Arizona, California, and Baja California. Adults are active during summer months.
Mesepiola specca
Mesepiola specca is a small moth in the family Prodoxidae, a group known as yucca moths. It inhabits arid regions of the southwestern United States. The species was described by Davis in 1967 and remains poorly known due to limited observations.
Mimorista trimaculalis
Mimorista trimaculalis is a small crambid moth described by Grote in 1878. It occurs in arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States. Adults are active during the warm season, with records spanning May through September. The species name refers to the three spots (tri-maculalis) characteristic of its wing pattern.
Mojavia
Mojavia is a monotypic moth genus in the family Crambidae, established by Eugene G. Munroe in 1961. The genus contains a single species, Mojavia achemonalis, described by Barnes and McDunnough in 1914. This small moth is characterized by distinctive pink and olivaceous coloration on the forewings and is restricted to arid regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
Mojavia achemonalis
Pink Bantam
Mojavia achemonalis, known as the Pink Bantam, is a small moth and the sole species in its genus. It belongs to the family Crambidae (snout moths) and is restricted to arid regions of the southwestern United States. The species was first described in 1914 and remains poorly known biologically.
Neopalpa donaldtrumpi
Donald Trump Moth
Neopalpa donaldtrumpi is a micro-moth species described in 2017 from specimens collected in the Algodones Dunes of Southern California and Northern Baja California, Mexico. It is the second species in the genus Neopalpa, distinguished by yellowish-white head scales that inspired its eponymous name. The species has a wingspan of less than one centimeter and was discovered through re-examination of museum specimens. Its naming was intended to draw public attention to habitat conservation for undescribed species in urbanized regions.
Noctueliopsis aridalis
Zigzag Bantam
Noctueliopsis aridalis is a small desert-dwelling moth in the family Crambidae, commonly known as the Zigzag Bantam. It was described by William Barnes and Foster Hendrickson Benjamin in 1922. The species is restricted to arid regions of the southwestern United States.
Prodoxus aenescens
Prodoxus aenescens is a small yucca moth in the family Prodoxidae, described by Riley in 1881. The species occurs in arid regions of southwestern North America where its larvae develop within Yucca whipplei. Adults are diminutive moths with wingspans of 9–15 mm. The species represents one of many specialized prodoxid moths that have coevolved with yucca plants.
Prodoxus barberella
Prodoxus barberella is a small moth in the family Prodoxidae, first described by Busck in 1902. The species is known only from south-eastern Arizona, where it inhabits shrubby desert environments. As a member of the genus Prodoxus, it likely shares the family's association with Yucca plants, though specific host relationships for this species remain unconfirmed. The species is poorly known, with limited observational records.
Prorella irremorata
A small geometrid moth described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1923, restricted to arid regions of the southwestern United States. Adults are active in spring and again in early autumn. The species is one of several in the genus Prorella, a group of generally small, inconspicuous moths associated with desert and semi-arid habitats.
Protogygia pectinata
Protogygia pectinata is a noctuid moth described by Lafontaine in 2004. It is known exclusively from White Sands National Park in Otero County, New Mexico, where it inhabits the distinctive gypsum dune ecosystem. The species name 'pectinata' refers to comb-like structures, likely describing a diagnostic morphological feature of the adult moth. Very few observations exist, reflecting either genuine rarity or limited survey effort in this restricted habitat.
Pseudoschinia elautalis
Desert Bantam
Pseudoschinia elautalis, commonly known as the Desert Bantam, is a small moth in the family Crambidae. It is the sole member of its genus, making the genus monotypic. The species is restricted to arid regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Adults are active during warmer months and are associated with desert habitats.
Pyrausta lethalis
Lethal Pyrausta, lethal pyrausta moth
Pyrausta lethalis is a small crambid moth described by Grote in 1881. It occurs in arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States and adjacent Mexico. The species is characterized by distinctive purplish-brown forewings with contrasting pale subterminal areas. Adults are active across much of the year, with records spanning March through October.
Rumatha jacumba
Rumatha jacumba is a species of snout moth (family Pyralidae) described by Herbert H. Neunzig in 1997. It is known from desert regions of southwestern North America, specifically California and Nevada. The species epithet references Jacumba, California, a locality in the Colorado Desert where the species has been collected. Like other members of the genus Rumatha, it belongs to a group of small pyralid moths associated with arid habitats.
Schinia brunnea
A noctuid moth species described in 1913, restricted to desert regions of southern California. Adults fly from late summer to early fall. Very little is known about its biology beyond basic distribution and phenology.
Schinia buta
Schinia buta is a small noctuid moth endemic to the arid regions of southeast California and northwest Nevada. The species has a wingspan of approximately 28 mm. Its larvae are known to feed specifically on Brickellia californica, a member of the aster family. Like other members of the genus Schinia, adults likely rest on or near their host plant flowers.
Schinia dobla
Schinia dobla is a noctuid moth first described by Smith in 1906. The species is known from the southwestern United States, specifically Arizona, California, and Nevada. Its larvae are documented to feed on Ambrosia dumosa, a desert shrub in the sunflower family. Like other members of the genus Schinia, adults likely rest on or near their host plant flowers.
Schinia erosa
Schinia erosa is a noctuid moth described by Smith in 1906. It inhabits desert regions of the southwestern United States, specifically the Mojave and Sonoran Desert areas east of the Peninsular Range in southern California and south-central Arizona. The species is univoltine with adults active in late summer and fall, and exhibits a specialized larval association with Isocoma acredenia (burrobrush), a desert shrub in the Asteraceae family.
Schinia felicitata
Schinia felicitata is a small noctuid moth with a wingspan of 27–28 mm, distributed from northern Mexico northward to southern California and southwest Utah. The larvae feed specifically on Oenothera deltoides (desert evening primrose). Like other members of the genus Schinia, adults are likely flower-visitors, though detailed behavioral observations for this species are limited.
Schinia pulchripennis
Common Flower Moth
Schinia pulchripennis, commonly known as the common flower moth, is a small noctuid moth distributed across North America. The species exhibits striking sexual dimorphism in wing coloration, with males displaying magenta forewings and females showing more subdued patterns. Both larvae and adults maintain close ecological ties to their host plant, Orthocarpus purpurascens (owl's clover), with larvae feeding internally on seeds and adults often resting on blossoms where their coloration provides camouflage. The species has been well-studied for its specialized life history and reproductive behavior.
Syssphinx hubbardi
Hubbard's Silk Moth, Hubbard's Silkmoth
Syssphinx hubbardi is a medium-sized giant silk moth in the family Saturniidae, with a wingspan of 56–76 mm. Adults are predominantly gray with bright pink hindwings that are exposed when the moth is startled. The species occurs in the southwestern United States and Mexico, with one generation per year in most of its range, though Texas populations may produce multiple generations. Adults are active from June through September, with peak activity in July and August.
Syssphinx raspa
Raspa Small Silkmoth
Syssphinx raspa is a small silkmoth in the family Saturniidae, native to North and Middle America. It is closely related to Hubbard's Silkmoth (Syssphinx hubbardi), with which it shares similar biology and appearance. The species has a wingspan of approximately 56-76 mm. Adults are primarily gray with bright pink hindwings that are exposed when startled. Like other Syssphinx species, the caterpillars feed on leguminous host plants and pupate underground.