Microlepidoptera
Guides
Eupithecia pretansata
Pug moth
Eupithecia pretansata is a small geometrid moth in the pug moth genus Eupithecia. It is known from a restricted range in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, specifically the Huachuca Mountains of Arizona and Chihuahua. Like other Eupithecia species, it exhibits the characteristic narrow wings and distinctive resting posture typical of pug moths. The species was described by Grossbeck in 1908.
Eupithecia subapicata
Pug moth
Eupithecia subapicata is a small geometrid moth in the family Geometridae, first described by Achille Guenée in 1857. It is native to the western United States, ranging from California through Oregon to Washington. The species is characterized by narrow wings and a distinctive resting posture typical of pug moths. Adults have been recorded on wing from January through July, with a wingspan of approximately 22–26 mm.
Exoteleia californica
Exoteleia californica is a small gelechiid moth endemic to California, with a wingspan of approximately 15 mm. The species is characterized by distinctive wing patterning featuring silvery white forewings with black-edged ochreous costal streaks and raised black scale tufts. Larvae feed on Quercus chrysolepis (canyon live oak), establishing a specific host relationship with this oak species.
Exoteleia chillcotti
A small moth in the family Gelechiidae, described by Freeman in 1963. Originally placed in the genus Coleotechnites, it was later transferred to Exoteleia. The species is documented from scattered localities in the eastern and southeastern United States.
Filatima nigripectus
Filatima nigripectus is a small gelechiid moth described by Walsingham in 1911. It is known from the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, with records from Arizona and Sonora. The species has a wingspan of approximately 15 mm and exhibits distinctive wing patterning characterized by mottled brownish-fuscous coloration with contrasting pale markings.
Filatima undescribed-species-sl-one
Filatima undescribed-species-sl-one is an undescribed species within the gelechiid moth genus Filatima. The genus Filatima contains numerous small moths, many of which are associated with specific host plants and remain taxonomically unresolved. This particular taxon represents a provisional designation for a species awaiting formal description. As an undescribed entity, published information regarding its biology and distribution is limited or absent.
Fomoria
Fomoria is a genus of minute moths in the family Nepticulidae, established by Beirne in 1945. These moths are part of the diverse microlepidoptera fauna. The genus has been historically treated as a subgenus within Ectoedemia in some classifications. Fomoria species are found in the Northern Hemisphere with records from Europe and North America.
Fomoria septembrella
Hypericum Pigmy
Fomoria septembrella is a minute moth in the family Nepticulidae, commonly known as the Hypericum Pigmy. The species was originally described as Ectoedemia septembrella by Stainton in 1849 and later transferred to the genus Fomoria by Beirne in 1945. It is a leaf-mining species associated with Hypericum (St. John's wort) host plants. The moth is widely distributed across Europe and extends into the eastern Palearctic and Near East.
Gillmeria
Gillmeria is a genus of plume moths in the family Pterophoridae, established by English entomologist James William Tutt in 1905. Plume moths in this genus possess the characteristic split or divided wings that define their family. The genus contains multiple species distributed across the Northern Hemisphere. These moths are generally small with slender bodies and distinctive wing morphology.
Glauce
Glauce is a genus of small moths in the family Gelechiidae, first described by Chambers in 1875. The genus belongs to the tribe Litini within the subfamily Gelechiinae. These moths are part of the diverse microlepidopteran fauna, though individual species within the genus remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.
Glaucolepis saccharella
Glaucolepis saccharella is a minute moth in the family Nepticulidae, one of the smallest moth families by body size. The species was originally described as Nepticula saccharella by Braun in 1912 and later transferred to Glaucolepis. It belongs to a genus of leaf-mining moths whose larvae feed internally on plant tissue. The species has been documented in the eastern United States.
Glyphidocera
Glyphidocera is a genus of small moths in the family Autostichidae, subfamily Symmocinae. The genus contains numerous described species, with particularly high diversity documented in Central America—88 new species were described from Costa Rica alone in a 2005 revision. Species-level taxonomy relies heavily on genitalia morphology and wing venation patterns. The genus has been recorded from North, Central, and South America.
Glyphidocera meyrickella
Glyphidocera meyrickella is a small moth in the family Autostichidae, described by August Busck in 1907. It is recorded from scattered localities across eastern and central North America. The species is characterized by its ochreous forewings densely sprinkled with black scales and two distinct blackish discal spots.
Glyphipterix saurodonta
Glyphipterix saurodonta is a species of sedge moth described by Edward Meyrick in 1913. It belongs to the family Glyphipterigidae, a group of small moths often associated with sedges and rushes. The species has been recorded in North America, with confirmed distribution records from the United States including Vermont. As with other members of its genus, it is presumed to have close ecological associations with wetland plants, though specific biological details remain poorly documented.
Gnorimoschema
Gnorimoschema is a genus of small moths in the family Gelechiidae, first described by Busck in 1900. The genus belongs to the tribe Gnorimoschemini and contains numerous species distributed across the Holarctic region, with particularly diverse faunas in North America and the Palaearctic. Several species are notable for their specialized life histories, including gall induction on host plants. The genus has been subject to extensive taxonomic revision, with many new species described in recent decades by researchers including Povolný and Powell.
Gnorimoschema alaricella
Gnorimoschema alaricella is a small moth in the family Gelechiidae, first described by August Busck in 1908. It is found in scattered locations across North America, with records from California, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The species is characterized by its relatively small wingspan and distinctive dark, mottled forewing pattern that obscures the underlying bluish-white ground color. Like other members of its genus, it belongs to a group of microlepidoptera that includes species associated with plant galls, though specific biological details for this species remain limited.
Gnorimoschema busckiella
Gnorimoschema busckiella is a small gelechiid moth described by William D. Kearfott in 1903. It is known from limited records in the northeastern and midwestern United States. The species has a distinctive wing pattern created by an unusual scale arrangement that produces a bronze-brown color sprinkled with white. Its larvae feed on Aster patens, a species of aster native to eastern North America.
Gnorimoschema compsomorpha
Gnorimoschema compsomorpha is a small moth in the family Gelechiidae, described by Edward Meyrick in 1929. The species belongs to a genus whose larvae are known for inducing galls on host plants, particularly in the Asteraceae family. It has been recorded from New Mexico in the United States, with additional distribution records from Alberta and Saskatchewan in Canada.
Gnorimoschema coquillettella
A small gelechiid moth described by August Busck in 1902, recorded from California and Colorado. Adults have a wingspan of 11.5–14 mm with distinctive forewing patterning combining yellowish-brown basal areas, pale bluish-white ground color with black-tipped scales, and dark fuscous costal markings. Larvae form false galls on terminal twigs of Ericameria pinifolia.
Gnorimoschema nr-septentrionella-two
Gnorimoschema nr-septentrionella-two is a species of gelechiid moth in the genus Gnorimoschema. The "nr" designation indicates this is a near-reference specimen that closely resembles but may not be definitively identified as Gnorimoschema septentrionella. The "two" suffix suggests it represents a second distinct morphotype or genetic cluster within this near-septentrionella group. Species in this genus are typically small moths associated with herbaceous host plants, often forming galls or feeding internally in stems or roots.
Gnorimoschema paternale
Gnorimoschema paternale is a small moth in the family Gelechiidae, described by Czech entomologist Dalibor Povolný in 2003. The species is known from a limited number of records in Arizona, North America. As a member of the genus Gnorimoschema, it belongs to a group of moths whose larvae are frequently associated with plant galls, though specific biological details for this species remain undocumented.
Gnorimoschema saphirinella
Gnorimoschema saphirinella is a small gelechiid moth described by V.T. Chambers in 1875. It is widely distributed across North America, with records from at least 14 U.S. states spanning the southern, central, and western regions. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism in forewing length. Adults are active for much of the year, and larvae are specialized leaf miners on Ambrosia species.
Gnorimoschema semicyclionella
Gnorimoschema semicyclionella is a small gelechiid moth described by August Busck in 1903. It is known from the western United States, with records from Colorado, Oregon, Wyoming, and New Mexico. The species is characterized by distinctive forewing patterning featuring chocolate brown semicircular markings on a white ground color sprinkled with minute black-tipped scales. Like other members of its genus, it likely has concealed larval habits, though specific host plant associations remain undocumented.
Gnorimoschema septentrionella
A small gelechiid moth described by Fyles in 1911. The species is known from northern and north-central North America, with records spanning Canada and the northern United States. Larvae are gall-formers on Aster junceus. Wingspan approximately 20 mm.
Gnorimoschema serratipalpella
Gnorimoschema serratipalpella is a small moth in the family Gelechiidae, described by Vactor Tousey Chambers in 1877. It is known from limited records in the southwestern United States, specifically Colorado and New Mexico. The species is characterized by distinctive forewing patterning with orange-yellow ground color and gray markings with brown-tipped projections. No information is available regarding its larval biology or host associations.
Gnorimoschema shepherdiae
Gnorimoschema shepherdiae is a small gelechiid moth described by Ronald J. Priest in 2014. It is distributed across northern North America from Yukon to Michigan. The species is a leaf-mining specialist on Shepherdia canadensis, with larvae that feed internally on host plant foliage.
Gnorimoschema terracottella
Gnorimoschema terracottella is a small gelechiid moth described by August Busck in 1900. The species is characterized by distinctive reddish-brown forewings with complex white patterning and dark dusting. Its larvae are leaf miners on Iva imbricata, a composite plant in the southeastern United States. The species is known from only two states, Florida and Alabama, and is one of approximately 100 described species in the genus Gnorimoschema.
Gnorimoschema triocellella
A small gelechiid moth described by V.T. Chambers in 1877, characterized by three distinctive ocellated spots on the forewings. The species is known from scattered records across North America including Alberta, Colorado, Wyoming, Maine, and Kentucky. Its specific epithet 'triocellella' directly references the three eye-like wing markings that serve as key identification features.
Gracillaria
Gracillaria is a genus of small moths in the family Gracillariidae, established by Adrian Haworth in 1828. The genus contains nine recognized species distributed across Europe, Asia, and North America. Members of this genus are leaf-mining moths, with larvae that feed internally on plant tissue. The type species, Gracillaria syringella, was described by Fabricius in 1794 and is known to feed on lilac and privet.
Gretchena amatana
Gretchena amatana is a species of tortricid moth in the family Tortricidae, described by Carl Heinrich in 1923. It belongs to the subfamily Olethreutinae and tribe Eucosmini. The species is known from the northeastern United States, with distribution records from Vermont and surrounding areas. As with many small tortricid moths, detailed ecological information remains limited in published literature.
Gretchena nymphana
Gretchena nymphana is a species of tortricid moth described by Blanchard and Knudson in 1983. It belongs to the subfamily Olethreutinae within the family Tortricidae, a large group of small to medium-sized moths commonly known as leafroller moths. The genus Gretchena is part of the tribe Eucosmini, which contains numerous species associated with various host plants. Information on the biology and ecology of this particular species remains limited in published literature.
Heliozela
Heliozela is a genus of small moths in the family Heliozelidae, described by Herrich-Schäffer in 1853. Species are leaf miners as larvae, feeding internally on host plant leaves. The genus has a Holarctic distribution with records from Europe and North America, and has been reported from southern Brazil. Heliozelidae are among the most primitive lineages of Lepidoptera.
Hellinsia auster
Austere Plume Moth
Hellinsia auster is a plume moth in the family Pterophoridae, restricted to Arizona in the southwestern United States. First described in 1921, this small moth exhibits the characteristic wing structure of its family, with wings split into feathery plumes. Adults are active during spring and late summer to early autumn. The species is known from limited collections, with the type locality in Mohave County.
Holcocera unidentified-one
Holcocera unidentified-one is an undescribed or provisionally named species within the genus Holcocera, a group of small moths in the family Blastobasidae. Blastobasid moths are generally inconspicuous and poorly studied, with many species remaining undescribed or known only from limited specimens. The genus Holcocera occurs primarily in the Nearctic and Neotropical regions. Without formal species description, detailed biological information is unavailable.
Holophysis emblemella
Holophysis emblemella is a small moth species in the family Gelechiidae, described by James Brackenridge Clemens in 1860. It occurs across eastern and central North America, with records spanning from New York south to Florida and west to Wisconsin. The species is one of approximately 221 observations documented on iNaturalist, indicating it is encountered with moderate frequency by observers. As with many gelechiid moths, detailed life history information remains limited.
Homosetia fasciella
Homosetia fasciella is a microlepidopteran moth species in the family Meessiidae, originally described by Chambers in 1873 under the basionym Pitys fasciella. It is a North American species with limited published ecological documentation. The species belongs to a genus of small moths whose biology remains poorly studied compared to more conspicuous Lepidoptera.
Homosetia n-sp-one
Homosetia n-sp-one is an undescribed species within the genus Homosetia, a group of small moths in the family Tineidae. As a species not yet formally described, its distinguishing characteristics and biology remain incompletely documented. The genus Homosetia belongs to the subfamily Meessiinae, which comprises small, often inconspicuous moths associated with diverse habitats. This species awaits formal taxonomic description and characterization.
Homostinea curviliniella
Curved-lined Homostinea Moth
Homostinea curviliniella is a small moth species described by Dietz in 1905. It is widely distributed across the eastern United States, with additional records from Arizona, Cuba, and Manitoba. The species is characterized by distinctive wing markings including a curved black line in the apical third of the forewing. It belongs to family Meessiidae (sometimes treated as Tineidae in older sources).
Hydropionea oblectalis
Hydropionea oblectalis is a small crambid moth described by George Duryea Hulst in 1886. It belongs to a genus of snout moths characterized by slender bodies, wings rolled around the body at rest, and enlarged labial palps projecting forward. The species is known from Arizona in the southwestern United States. Little is known about its biology; the larval host plants and life cycle remain unstudied.
Ithome concolorella
kiawe flower moth
Ithome concolorella, commonly known as the kiawe flower moth, is a small microlepidopteran species in the family Cosmopterigidae. First described by V.T. Chambers in 1875, it is native to the southern United States but has been introduced to Hawaii and Ascension Island. The species has become a notable pest of leguminous tree flowers in its introduced range.
Kearfottia
Kearfottia is a genus of small moths in the family Tineidae, subfamily Scardiinae. These moths are part of the diverse group of clothes moths and related taxa, though specific ecological details for this genus remain poorly documented in accessible literature. The genus was established to accommodate species with distinctive genitalic characters separating them from related genera such as Scardia.
Landryia
Landryia is a genus of tiny moths in the family Scythrididae, described by Kemal & Koçak in 2006. These microlepidopterans are among the smallest moths, with individuals measuring approximately 4–5 mm in total length. The genus is characterized by strikingly asymmetrical genitalia, a feature that distinguishes it from related genera such as Scythris and Neoscythris. Species in this group are poorly known taxonomically, with many undescribed species likely awaiting formal description.
Landryia impositella
Landryia impositella is a minute moth in the family Scythrididae, known from prairie and grassland habitats in western Canada and the northern United States. Adults are among the smallest Lepidoptera, with a body length of approximately 4–5 mm. The species was originally described in the genus Butalis before being transferred to Landryia. Like other members of this genus, it is associated with composite flowers, particularly those in the Asteraceae.
Landryia matutella
Landryia matutella is a minute moth in the family Scythrididae, a group commonly known as flower moths. The genus Landryia is distinguished by strikingly asymmetrical genitalia. Most species in this group remain undescribed despite being collected for decades, with only 4-6 described species per genus though dozens are known. This species has been recorded from Saskatchewan, Canada.
Landryia reducta
Landryia reducta is a microlepidopteran moth in the family Scythrididae, a group commonly known as flower moths. Members of the genus Landryia are distinguished by strikingly asymmetrical genitalia, a diagnostic feature within the Scythrididae. The species belongs to a poorly resolved taxonomic group where most genera contain dozens of known but undescribed species.
Lecithoceridae
Long-horned Moths
Lecithoceridae, or long-horned moths, is a family of small moths in the superfamily Gelechioidea. The family comprises over 100 genera and nearly 900 species, with the greatest diversity concentrated in the Indomalayan realm and southern Palearctic. Recent taxonomic work has expanded the family's classification, including the establishment of the subfamily Crocanthinae in 2015. Despite being a highly diverse group of microlepidoptera, Lecithoceridae remains among the more poorly known families, with limited biological and ecological data available.
Leucanthiza amphicarpeaefoliella
Leucanthiza amphicarpeaefoliella is a minute leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae, described by Clemens in 1859. The species occurs in northeastern North America, with records from Ontario and Québec in Canada and several eastern and midwestern U.S. states. Adults are small with a wingspan of approximately 8 mm. The larvae are specialized leaf miners on Amphicarpaea bracteata, a leguminous vine.
Leucogoniella californica
Leucogoniella californica is a small moth in the family Gelechiidae, first described by Keifer in 1930. It occurs in the southwestern United States, with confirmed records from California and Arizona. The species is one of at least two Leucogoniella species in the region that are difficult to distinguish based on wing pattern alone. Its biology remains poorly known, though it has been observed in large numbers during summer months.
Leucogoniella distincta
Leucogoniella distincta is a small gelechiid moth described by Keifer in 1935. It is known from California, with a wingspan of 7.5–9 mm. The species has been recorded at blacklighting events in the Davis, California area, where it occasionally appears in large numbers. Its larval biology remains poorly documented.
Leucomele
Leucomele is a genus of small moths established by Dietz in 1905. The genus is currently placed in the family Meessiidae, though it was historically associated with Tineidae. It contains multiple species distributed primarily in North America. The genus is relatively poorly documented in scientific literature.