Bug FAQAchyra bifidalis
Achyra bifidalis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Crambidae
Source: Wikipedia
Achyla bifidalis is a small moth with a wingspan of about 2 cm. It lives from the southern United States through Mexico and into South America, and also occurs in the Caribbean. Its larvae eat cotton (Gossypium) and purslane (Portulaca), which can make it a pest of those plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The adult’s wingspan ranges from 20 to 24 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on plants in the cotton genus Gossypium. They also eat species of the purslane genus Portulaca.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
In the United States it is found from Arizona to Florida. Its range continues south through Mexico into Brazil and Argentina, and it is also present in the West Indies.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 9 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Indiana, New Jersey, Oklahoma.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants do the larvae of Achyra bifidalis eat?
The larvae feed on cotton (Gossypium) and purslane (Portulaca).
Source: Wikipedia
Where is Achyra bifidalis found in the United States?
It occurs from Arizona eastward to Florida.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Crambidae)
Box Tree MothCydalima perspectalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Celery Leaftier MothUdea rubigalis
Elegant Grass-veneerMicrocrambus elegans
Hawaiian Beet Webworm MothSpoladea recurvalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Garden Grass-veneerChrysoteuchia culmellaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Bluegrass Webworm MothParapediasia teterrellusDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achyra_bifidalis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.