07/24/2026
Have you seen this?? Read below👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 🦋The purple mint moth, Pyrausta laticlavia, is a North American native species.
🕸️Sometimes called Rosemary webworm, the caterpillars spin loose webbing as they feed, which accumulates pellets of frass, or p**p. These moths fly from June to August, and North Carolina can see multiple generations per year.
🌱Their host plants are primarily rosemary, but will eat anything in the mint (Lamiaceae) family: Thyme, oregano, mint, sage, bee balm, lemon balm, catnip/catmint (and more).🪴
🕷️Many people may mistake this webbing for spiders, spidermites, or just the rosemary/thyme dying out of the blue. However, you can save your plant!
After manual removal, BT is your friend.
💦Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is highly selective and targets specific insect larvae (like caterpillars or mosquito larvae) leaving beneficial insects like ladybugs and adult bees unharmed.
Keep in mind though, it will kill caterpillars of desirable butterflies and moths.
🙅♀️Avoid spraying it directly on pollinator plants (like milkw**d) where beneficial caterpillars are feeding.
🐛BT is a great safe and organic control for tomato hornworms and cabbage worms, so if you buy a concentrate you can put it to good use!
For more info & further reading:
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/southern-purple-mint-moth
https://hgic.clemson.edu/question-of-the-week-southern-purple-mint-moth/
