MPG (species pages only) MPG (entire website) Entire Web

Digital Guide to Moth Identification

Noctuidae 932494 – 9485   Papaipema baptisiae (Bird, 1902)              Indigo Stem Borer

Photographs are the copyrighted property of each photographer listed. Contact individual photographers for permission to use for any purpose.

© Mark Dreiling Large Map & Chart Report Errors About Maps

Larva and Host Plants: Host familiy: Apocynaceae Asteraceae Berberidaceae Fabaceae.  Host genera: Apocynum Arnoglossum Baptisia Podophyllum Rumex Silphium Vernonia.  Notes: Polyphagous on herbs (Forbes 1954); borer (Wagner et al 2011).  (Shropshire & Douglas 2025) Similar Species: Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.) Synonymy: baptisiae (Bird, 1902) (Hydroecia) - MONA 1983: 9485 depictata Benjamin, 1933 (Papaipema) vaha Benjamin, 1933 (Papaipema)

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. 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 Block Island Moths Species Page at BugGuide.Net Species Page at Mass Moths Species Page at iNaturalist

© Dave Beadle © Aaron Brees LG © Steve Scott © Steve Scott © Brent Steury

38mm – © Jim Vargo © Jim Wiker

© Teá Montagna LG 3rd instar on Baptisia tinctoria

Moth Photographers Group  at the  Mississippi Entomological Museum  at the  Mississippi State University

Send suggestions, or submit photographs to Webmaster — Moth Photographers Group

Database design and scripting support provided by Mike Boone