Bug FAQBlack-smudged Chionodes Moth
Chionodes mediofuscella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Gelechiidae
Also called: Black-smudged Chionodes
The forewings are pale yellow with a dark brown spot near the leading edge and two blackish-brown dots on the folded part of the wing; the hindwings are a shiny pale gray. The larvae feed on giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida).
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The forewings are pale yellow with a dark brown spot near the leading edge and two blackish-brown dots on the folded part of the wing. The hindwings are a shiny pale gray.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 43 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, Alabama, Washington, New Jersey.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Same family (Gelechiidae)
Angoumois Grain MothSitotroga cerealellaDamages trees, gardens or crops
White Stripe-backed MothArogalea cristifasciella
Red-necked Peanutworm MothStegasta bosqueellaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Tomato StemborerSymmetrischema tangoliasDamages trees, gardens or crops
Anisoplaca achyrotaAnisoplaca achyrotaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chionodes_mediofuscella
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.