Gelechiidae
Guides
Battaristis
Battaristis is a genus of small moths in the family Gelechiidae, established by Edward Meyrick in 1914. The genus contains approximately 27 described species distributed primarily in North America. Species within this genus are characterized by distinctive wing patterns and are placed in the subfamily Anacampsinae. Many species were originally described from the southwestern United States, with some ranging into Central America.
Battaristis
Battaristis is a genus of small moths in the family Gelechiidae, a large and diverse group of microlepidoptera commonly known as twirler moths. The genus contains multiple species, including at least one undescribed species that has been documented but not formally named in scientific literature. Gelechiidae moths are characterized by their relatively small size and often subtle coloration. Species within Battaristis are poorly documented in public sources, with limited information available regarding their biology, distribution, and distinguishing characteristics.
Battaristis nigratomella
Black-faced Twirler Moth
Battaristis nigratomella is a small moth in the family Gelechiidae, commonly known as the Black-faced Twirler Moth. It is widely distributed across eastern and central North America, with records spanning from Quebec to Texas and Florida to Minnesota. Adults are active from early spring through autumn. The species is readily identified by its distinctive wing pattern of white forewings with pale brown apical markings.
Battaristis pasadenae
Battaristis pasadenae is a small moth in the family Gelechiidae, described by Keifer in 1935. It is known from California in western North America. The species has a wingspan of approximately 11–12 mm and exhibits distinctive wing patterning with white markings on a fuscous background. Very few observations of this species have been recorded.
Battaristis vittella
stripe-backed moth, Orange Stripe-backed Moth
A small gelechiid moth with a wingspan of 8–10 mm, recorded from the eastern United States and southern Canada. First described by Busck in 1916 under the basionym Duvita vittella. The species is relatively well-documented with over 1,600 iNaturalist observations.
Bryotropha hodgesi
Bryotropha hodgesi is a small gelechiid moth described in 2004. It is known from the western coast of North America, ranging from the United States into extreme southern Canada. The species was named in honor of R.W. Hodges.
Calliprora
Calliprora is a genus of gelechiid moths in the subfamily Thiotrichinae, established by Meyrick in 1914. The genus contains approximately 12 described species, primarily Neotropical in distribution. One species, C. leucaenae, has been documented as a significant pest of Leucaena leucocephala in Florida, where larvae function as blotch-miners and leaf-tiers. The genus was transferred to Thiotrichinae based on distinctive genital morphology including anellus lobes and sternum VIII characteristics.
Carpatolechia notatella
sallow-leaf groundling
A small gelechiid moth with a wingspan of 12–16 mm, distributed across most of Europe (excluding the Iberian and most of the Balkan Peninsula) and Turkey. Adults fly in late spring, while larvae are active in late summer and feed on willow leaves. The species is closely associated with Salix species as larval hosts.
Caryocolum
Curved-horn moths
Caryocolum is a genus of small moths in the family Gelechiidae, commonly known as Curved-horn moths. The genus contains over 80 species distributed across the Palearctic and Nearctic realms, with the highest diversity in mountainous regions of Europe. Species are specialized feeders on plants in the carnation family (Caryophyllaceae), particularly genera such as Cerastium and Stellaria. The genus has been subject to intensive taxonomic revision due to high levels of cryptic diversity, with numerous species described in recent decades using integrative approaches combining DNA barcoding and morphology.
Caryocolum cassella
Caryocolum cassella is a small gelechiid moth with a broad Palearctic distribution extending from Western Europe through Scandinavia to Eastern Europe and Russia, with additional populations in western North America. The species shows sexual dimorphism in forewing length, with males slightly larger than females. Adults are active during summer months, while larvae develop in spring on Stellaria nemorum.
Caryocolum pullatella
Caryocolum pullatella is a small gelechiid moth with a broad distribution spanning the Holarctic region. The species is characterized by its small size, with forewings measuring 5–6.5 mm. Adults are active from mid-May through mid-October, likely with a single annual generation. The species belongs to a genus whose larvae are specialized feeders on plants in the carnation family (Caryophyllaceae).
Chionodes
Chionodes is a large, globally distributed genus of small moths in the family Gelechiidae. The genus comprises over 150 described species, many of which are grouped into species complexes based on morphological similarities and host associations. Larvae of numerous species are associated with coniferous trees, particularly Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), though host plant relationships vary considerably across the genus. The Nearctic obscurusella species-group includes species feeding on Acer, Quercus, and Salix.
Chionodes abdominella
Chionodes abdominella is a small gelechiid moth with a wingspan of 9–10 mm, found in the southwestern United States. The species is characterized by distinctive black and white forewing patterning with triangular costal markings. It has been recorded from Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, and Nevada.
Chionodes abitus
Chionodes abitus is a small moth in the family Gelechiidae, described by Hodges in 1999. It occurs in western North America from California north to British Columbia and Saskatchewan. The species is associated with willow (Salix) hosts.
Chionodes arenella
Chionodes arenella is a small gelechiid moth native to eastern North America, ranging from Nova Scotia to Virginia. The species has a wingspan of approximately 20 mm and is distinguished by its clay-colored forewings with contrasting pale veins and dark greyish shading. Larvae are specialized stem borers in beachgrass (Ammophila breviligulata).
Chionodes aristella
Chionodes aristella is a gelechiid moth described by Busck in 1903. It is distinguished by striking forewing coloration featuring deep purplish black with two prominent canary-yellow longitudinal streaks. The species has a restricted known distribution in the southwestern United States.
Chionodes baro
Chionodes baro is a small moth species in the family Gelechiidae, described by Hodges in 1999. It is known from a limited number of records in eastern and central North America. The species belongs to a large and taxonomically challenging genus of gelechiid moths, many of which are poorly characterized beyond their original descriptions.
Chionodes bibo
Chionodes bibo is a small moth in the family Gelechiidae, first described by Hodges in 1999. It is known from Arizona in the southwestern United States. The larvae feed on oak species (Quercus), making it a specialist herbivore associated with this plant genus.
Chionodes canor
Chionodes canor is a moth in the family Gelechiidae, described by Hodges in 1999. The species is known only from Arizona in the southwestern United States. Like other members of its genus, it is a small gelechiid moth, though specific details of its biology remain poorly documented.
Chionodes chrysopyla
Chionodes chrysopyla is a small gelechiid moth with a wingspan of 11–13 mm, found in western North America. The species is distinguished by its patterned forewings featuring blackish markings on a whitish-ochreous ground color. Larvae are specialized feeders on several oak species (Quercus), particularly in California and adjacent regions.
Chionodes continuella
Spring Oak Leafroller Moth
Chionodes continuella is a small gelechiid moth with a Holarctic distribution spanning Europe, Asia, and North America. Adults are active during summer months in western Europe. The species has been misnamed 'spring oak leafroller' despite larvae feeding on conifers and lichens rather than oak.
Chionodes dammersi
Chionodes dammersi is a gelechiid moth native to southwestern North America. The larvae are specialized feeders on multiple species of Eriogonum (wild buckwheat), making this a plant-host-specific species. It has been documented in California and Arizona. Adult activity patterns and morphological details remain poorly documented in published sources.
Chionodes dentella
Chionodes dentella is a small gelechiid moth with a wingspan of 9–10 mm, distributed across the southern and western United States. The species is readily identified by its striking black-and-white forewing pattern, featuring a divided color scheme with characteristic tooth-like projections. It has been recorded from Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, California, Mississippi, and Florida.
Chionodes discoocellella
Eye-ringed Chionodes Moth, Eyeringed Chionodes Moth
Chionodes discoocellella is a small gelechiid moth found across the eastern and central United States. The species is distinguished by distinctive forewing markings including a yellowish-white discal spot with a black central dot. Larvae are specialized feeders on plants in the family Polygonaceae.
Chionodes emptor
Chionodes emptor is a small moth in the family Gelechiidae, first described by Hodges in 1999. It is known from the southeastern United States, with records from South Carolina south to Florida and west to Texas. Like other members of the genus Chionodes, it is a gelechiid moth with larvae that likely feed on plant material, though specific host associations remain undocumented.
Chionodes figurella
Chionodes figurella is a small gelechiid moth with a wingspan of 15–21 mm, distributed along the Pacific coast of North America from Washington to California and Nevada. The species is recognized by its distinctive wing pattern featuring ochreous forewings obscured by stone-grey and dark ochreous scaling, with pale veins appearing as thin whitish lines. The larvae are known to feed on Elymus grasses, including blue wildrye (Elymus glaucus).
Chionodes fondella
Chionodes fondella is a small gelechiid moth with a wingspan of 13–14 mm. It is distributed across eastern and central North America, from Nova Scotia west to Manitoba and south to Oklahoma and North Carolina. The larvae feed on specific host plants in the Asteraceae and Lamiaceae families.
Chionodes formosella
spring oak leafroller
Chionodes formosella, commonly known as the spring oak leafroller, is a small gelechiid moth found in eastern North America. The species is named for its larval habit of rolling or tying oak leaves. It is associated primarily with oak species, particularly those in the red oak group. The moth has a wingspan of approximately 16 mm.
Chionodes hapsus
Chionodes hapsus is a small moth in the family Gelechiidae, described by Hodges in 1999. It occurs across the eastern and central United States and southern Ontario, Canada. The species is associated with oak forests, where its larvae feed on white oak and bur oak.
Chionodes landryi
Chionodes landryi is a small moth in the family Gelechiidae, described by Hodges in 1999. It is known from a limited number of records in western North America, specifically from Alberta, New Mexico, and Wyoming. The species belongs to a large genus of gelechiid moths, many of which are poorly known biologically.
Chionodes lophosella
Chionodes lophosella is a small gelechiid moth with a wingspan of approximately 12 mm, distributed along the Pacific coast of North America from Washington to California. The species is distinguished by distinctive raised scale tufts on the forewings and a conspicuous white costal spot. Larvae have been documented feeding on two lupine species, Lupinus chamissonis and Lupinus arboreus.
Chionodes mariona
Chionodes mariona is a small gelechiid moth with a wingspan of 9–10 mm, distributed across the southwestern United States and Mexico. Adults are distinguished by glossy black forewings marked with two cream-colored spots. The larvae are specialized herbivores feeding on plants in the mallow family (Malvaceae), including Abutilon, Malvastrum, Sida, and Wissadula species. Larval development produces distinctive yellowish-white caterpillars with prominent red blotches.
Chionodes meddix
Chionodes meddix is a small moth in the family Gelechiidae, described by Ronald W. Hodges in 1999. The species is known from arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States. As with many Chionodes species, detailed biological information remains limited.
Chionodes mediofuscella
black-smudged chionodes moth
Chionodes mediofuscella is a small moth in the family Gelechiidae, commonly known as the black-smudged chionodes moth. It occurs across much of North America from Nova Scotia to Florida and west to British Columbia, Colorado, Arizona, and northern California. The larvae feed on giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida).
Chionodes naevus
Chionodes naevus is a small moth in the family Gelechiidae, first described by Hodges in 1999. The species is known from a limited number of records in the southwestern United States. Very little biological information has been published for this species.
Chionodes pereyra
Chionodes pereyra is a small moth in the family Gelechiidae, described by Clarke in 1947. It occurs across eastern and central North America, with records spanning from Massachusetts and Michigan south to Florida and Texas. The larvae are specialized feeders on red oak group Quercus species.
Chionodes phalacra
Chionodes phalacra is a small gelechiid moth with a wingspan of approximately 9 mm. It is characterized by dark fuscous forewings marked with distinctive pale cream-colored spots and streaks. The species has been recorded from Texas, Arizona, Mexico, and Cuba.
Chionodes pinguicula
Chionodes pinguicula is a small gelechiid moth described by Meyrick in 1929. It occurs in arid and semi-arid regions of western North America. The species has a wingspan of 13–15 mm. Larvae are known to feed on Atriplex canescens (fourwing saltbush), a common shrub in desert habitats.
Chionodes repertor
Chionodes repertor is a species of small moth in the family Gelechiidae, described by Hodges in 1999. It is known only from Arizona in the southwestern United States. As a member of the large genus Chionodes, it belongs to a group of gelechiid moths whose larvae are often associated with plant material, though specific biological details for this species remain unreported.
Chionodes rhombus
Chionodes rhombus is a species of moth in the family Gelechiidae. It was described by Hodges in 1999 and is known from multiple western North American states. The larvae feed on Populus species, making this a specialized herbivore with documented host plant relationships.
Chionodes tessa
Chionodes tessa is a species of moth in the family Gelechiidae, described by Clarke in 1947. It is known from western North America, with records from Washington, Idaho, Oregon, California, and Arizona. As a member of the large genus Chionodes, it belongs to a group of small moths whose larvae typically feed on plant material, though specific host associations for this species remain undocumented.
Chionodes thoraceochrella
Chionodes thoraceochrella is a small gelechiid moth distributed across much of North America. The species is recognized by its distinctive wing pattern featuring dark brown and black scaling on a whitish fuscous ground color, with characteristic longitudinal streaks and an angulated white fascia near the wing apex. Larvae are known to feed on several oak species and chokecherry.
Chrysoesthia lingulacella
silver-banded moth
Chrysoesthia lingulacella, commonly known as the silver-banded moth, is a gelechiid moth described by James Brackenridge Clemens in 1860. It is recognized by its distinctive golden-yellow forewings with complex silvery and golden-brown markings. The larvae are leaf miners that feed specifically on Chenopodium album.
Chrysoesthia sexguttella
Orache Leafminer Moth
Chrysoesthia sexguttella is a small gelechiid moth known as the orache leafminer moth. Adults are active in two generations per year, flying in spring (May–June) and late summer (August–September). The larvae are specialized leaf miners that feed internally on leaves of Chenopodium, Atriplex, and related plants in Amaranthaceae, creating distinctive contorted gallery mines. The species is widespread across Europe and Asia, with introduced populations in northeastern North America.
Coleotechnites
needle miners
Coleotechnites is a genus of small moths in the family Gelechiidae containing approximately 60 described species. The genus was established by Vactor Tousey Chambers in 1880. Many species are needle miners, with larvae that feed inside conifer needles. The lodgepole needle miner (C. milleri) is the best-known species, recognized as a significant forest pest in North America.
Coleotechnites albicostata
white-edged coleotechnites moth
Coleotechnites albicostata, commonly known as the white-edged coleotechnites moth, is a small gelechiid moth described by Freeman in 1965. It is one of numerous small, often poorly known species in the genus Coleotechnites, a group of moths frequently associated with coniferous hosts. The species is documented from scattered localities in eastern North America.
Coleotechnites australis
Coleotechnites australis is a gelechiid moth described by Freeman in 1963. It occurs in the southeastern United States, with records from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Adults are active from March and again from May through September. The species is associated with eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), which serves as the larval host plant.
Coleotechnites blastovora
Coleotechnites blastovora is a small moth in the family Gelechiidae, described by McLeod in 1962. The species is found across central and western Canada, with records from Quebec, New Brunswick, and the prairie provinces. Its larvae are specialized feeders on conifers in the genera Picea and Abies, where they mine the needles. The species was originally described under the genus Eucordylea before being transferred to Coleotechnites.
Coleotechnites coniferella
Conifer Needleminer
Coleotechnites coniferella is a small gelechiid moth with a wingspan of approximately 9 mm. The species is distributed across North America, with records from California to the northeastern United States and Canada. Larvae are known to feed on Pinus species, earning the common name Conifer Needleminer.
Coleotechnites florae
Coleotechnites Flower Moth
Coleotechnites florae is a small moth in the family Gelechiidae, described by Freeman in 1960. It occurs across much of North America, with records spanning from western Canada through the eastern and southern United States. The species is associated with coniferous habitats, and its larvae feed on Pinus contorta (lodgepole pine).