How to identify the Ornate Bella Moth
The Ornate Bella Moth is small but unmistakable. Its forewings are a mosaic of orange, cream, and white blocks outlined and dotted with black, while the hidden hindwings flash bright pink with a black border when it flies or is disturbed. Wingspan is roughly 1.3 to 1.8 inches. Coloration is variable from yellow-orange to deep rose, but the marbled forewing pattern and pink underwings are diagnostic. Unlike many moths, it is frequently active in daylight, so you may spot it bouncing low over vegetation in sunshine.
Where it lives
This is a warm-climate, southeastern species. In the open GBIF records behind this tool, sightings concentrate in Florida, Georgia, Texas, South Carolina, and Louisiana, tied closely to open fields, pinelands, roadsides, and disturbed ground where its host plants grow. It thrives in the Gulf and South Atlantic states and pushes north only seasonally.
When it flies
The Ornate Bella Moth produces several generations a year in the warm South, so adults can turn up across much of the calendar. In the records, activity peaks around March, May, and again from October into December, reflecting its long subtropical season rather than a single short flight period. In the warmest parts of its range you may find it nearly year-round.
Caterpillar and host plants
The caterpillar feeds on rattlebox plants (Crotalaria), legumes loaded with toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids. The larva sequesters those alkaloids, and the resulting chemical protection carries through to the adult moth, which is why the bold aposematic (warning) coloration works: predators learn the bright pattern means a bad meal. These alkaloids even play a role in the moth's courtship and egg defense. The caterpillar itself is patterned in orange, black, and white bands. It is a tidy example of a tiger moth borrowing its defense straight from its host plant.
How to see one at night
Because the Ornate Bella Moth is largely day-active, your best bet is to walk fields and roadsides with rattlebox in the morning or late afternoon and watch for the pink flash as it flies. It will also come to lights at night where it is common. For night viewing, set a white sheet with a UV or mercury-vapor lamp on a warm, calm evening; UV beats white LED because short-wavelength light disrupts moth flight orientation, drawing them in. New to night lighting? Our beginner's guide to mothing covers the basics, or you can see what is likely flying near you tonight.
Note that this site does not identify a moth from your photo. It predicts likely species by your location and date from open records. For photo ID, try iNaturalist or Seek, BugGuide, the Moth Photographers Group, or BAMONA.