When I go out into the Gothe State Forest, there is one pretty clearing just behind my property that I often hike through. It’s frequently a good place to find dragonflies, butterflies, and grasshoppers. The last few times I’ve been out there, I have also seen these very pretty, bright yellow moths flying around in the grass. They are black bordered lemon moths (Marimatha nigrofimbria), which are a species of owlet moth in the family Noctuidae. They are usually nocturnal moths that feed on flower nectar, but lay their eggs on grasses and wild morning glory vines. The adults are usually on the wing between April and October down here, but have a shorter flight period in the northern parts of it’s range.

These moths can be found in the eastern United States and Canada as well as Mexico, Arizona, and California. They are usually found in grassy areas like lawns, pastures, woods edges, fence lines, and right of ways. The caterpillars feed on crab grasses and wild morning glories, both of which most people consider weeds. The caterpillars are small and green in color so that they are well camouflaged in their grassy environments. I looked around on some of the grass in the clearing to see if I could find any caterpillars, but had no luck. Still, I consider myself pretty fortunate to have gotten the chance to photograph the adults in the daylight. These are highly beneficial little moths since their caterpillars eat weeds and the adults work as pollinators.