Mint moth
This day-flying moth is vivid purple and gold when freshly emerged but fades until worn adults look brown with only faint yellow spots.
| Where | Gardens and herb-rich habitats |
|---|---|
| Size | 15 to 20 mm wingspan |
| When | April to September |
Fresh adults show purple-brown forewings crossed with golden-yellow markings and a rounded golden blotch near the leading edge, a pattern that fades until worn wings look brown with only faint yellowish spots remaining as the scales wear off with age.
Caterpillars feed inside spun or rolled leaves of aromatic plants such as spearmint, marjoram, and calamint, and the species produces two generations that fly from spring into late summer, often close to garden herb beds.
Traits
Habitat
Garden
Colour
Brown, Yellow
Active
Day and night
To people
Harmless
Activity through the year
Often confused with
The common purple and gold carries an extra small yellow spot near the base of the hindwing that the mint moth lacks, and its central markings form three larger, joined spots rather than the mint moth's single rounded blotch.
Questions
Is the Mint moth dangerous to people?
The Mint moth is harmless to people.
When can you see the Mint moth?
The Mint moth can be seen from April to September, by day and at night.
Plate retouched from a photo by Ben Sale from Stevenage, UK, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Grass moths›Pyrausta
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.