Bug FAQAmerican Sunflower Moth
Homoeosoma electella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Pyralidae
Also called: sunflower moth
Source: Wikipedia
The adult moth has a wingspan of about 18 to 20 mm. It is native to North America but is also found in South America.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan measures 18 to 20 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
They also feed on canola, sunflowers, cotton and oranges.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to North America. It is also found in South America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 41 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, California, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Massachusetts, New York, Colorado, Louisiana.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Where is this moth found?
It is native to North America and also occurs in South America.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants does it damage?
The larvae feed on asters, canola, sunflowers, cotton and oranges, causing damage to those crops.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Pyralidae)
Indian-Meal MothPlodia interpunctellaCan damage your home
Greater Wax MothGalleria mellonella
Mediterranean Flour MothEphestia kuehniellaCan damage your home
Meal mothPyralis farinalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Bee MothAphomia sociellaNuisance, not dangerous
Yellow-fringed Dolichomia MothHypsopygia olinalisSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homoeosoma_electellum
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.