Moth Photographers Group – Estigmene acrea

Digital Guide to Moth Identification

Erebidae

930317 – 8131 Estigmene acrea (Drury, 1773)

Salt Marsh Moth

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Larva and Host Plants:	Host familiy: Alliaceae[Liliaceae] Amaranthaceae[Chenopodiaceae] Apocynaceae Asparagaceae[Liliaceae] Asteraceae Betulaceae Brassicaceae Cannaceae Adoxaceae[Caprifoliaceae] Cucurbitaceae Ericaceae Fabaceae Fagaceae .. Host genera: Allium Alnus Amaranthus Artemisia Asparagus Averrhoa Baccharis Beta Boehmeria Brassica Canna Cephalanthus Citrullus Citrus Cucurbita Cynara Dahlia Eupatorium Fagus Glycine Gossypium Helianthus Hydrang... Notes: polyphagous on herbaceous plants (Heitzman & Heitzman 1987); wide diversity of herbaceous plants (Crabo et al 2014); grasses (Nystrom & Ochoa 2006). (Shropshire & Douglas 2025)
Similar Species:	Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.)
Synonymy:	acrea (Drury, 1773) (Phalaena) - MONA 1983: 8131 californica (Packard, 1864) (Leucarctia) caprotina (Drury, 1773) (Phalaena) columbiana Rothschild, 1910 (Estigmene) echo (Rothschild, 1910) (Diacrisia) (in part) klagesii (Ehrmann, 1894) (Leucarctia) mexicana (Walker, 1865) (Spilosoma) packardii (Schaupp, 1882) (Leucarctia) pseuderminea (Harris, 1823) (Arctia) rickseckeri (Behr, 1893) (Leucarctia)

References (Caution: DNA barcoding at BOLD provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification; some BOLD specimens shown may not be sequenced.)

Barcode of Life (BOLD) - Caution: Identifications often erroneous; DNA barcode provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification; many specimens not sequenced.
Factsheet at Florida Featured Creatures.
Hall et al., 2021. The Moths of North Carolina - website (identification, habitats and life history)
Powell, J. A. & P. A. Opler, 2009. Moths of Western North America, Pl. 47.19m, 47.22f; p. 269. Book Review and ordering
Shropshire, K.J. & D.W. Tallamy, 2025. Lepidoptera of North America, north of Mexico: an annotated list containing geographic ranges and host-plant records. ZooKeys, 1261: 101-113; Suppl. 1. (PDF or read online)
Species Page at BugGuide.Net
Species Page at E. H. Strickland Museum
Species Page at Mass Moths
Species Page at Pacific Northwest Moths
Species Page at iNaturalist