Spotted Spragueia
Common NameSpotted Spragueia
Scientific NameSpragueia guttata
FamilyErebidae
SubfamilyEublemminae
Wingspan (mm)15
Wing Patternspotted
Primary Colorscream, orange, black
HabitatDry open areas, fields, roadsides
Geographic RangeSoutheastern United States, west to Texas, north to Maryland and Missouri
Host PlantsAmbrosia spp. (ragweed)
Flight PeriodMay to October
Flight Stylefluttering
Conservation Statusleast-concern
Lifecycle NotesUndergoes complete metamorphosis, with larvae feeding on ragweed plants before pupating and emerging as adults.
Identification TipsLook for the distinctive mottled pattern of cream, black, and orange on the forewings, combined with its small size and orange-brown head and thorax.
Description
A small moth with cream-colored forewings heavily marked with irregular black and orange-brown spots and bands, giving it a mottled appearance. The head and thorax are predominantly orange-brown.
