Black-bordered lemon moth
Despite its bright lemon yellow forewings, this small moth is named for the plain black border that runs along their edges.
| Where | Lawns, pastures and grassy wetlands |
|---|---|
| Size | 18 to 25 mm wingspan |
| When | April to September |
The forewings are a lustrous lemon yellow marked only with small dark dots and a neat black border along the outer edge, while the hindwings are a plainer pale gray.
Caterpillars feed on grasses such as smooth crabgrass, and the adults are regular visitors to porch lights across lawns, pastures and damp grassy edges.
Traits
Habitat
Grassland
Colour
Yellow, Black, Grey
Active
Night
To people
Harmless to people; attracted to lights but does not bite or sting.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Other North American Marimatha species, including this one, share the same lemon yellow forewing but carry an extra pale line across the outer part of the wing that the Black-bordered Lemon Moth lacks.
Questions
Is the Black-bordered lemon moth dangerous to people?
Harmless to people; attracted to lights but does not bite or sting.
When can you see the Black-bordered lemon moth?
The Black-bordered lemon moth can be seen from April to September, at night.
Plate retouched from a photo by hr_dragonfly, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Owlet moths›Marimatha
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.