Bug FAQCaryocolum pullatella
Caryocolum pullatella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Gelechiidae
The forewings measure about 5 to 6.5 mm in length. Adults are active from roughly mid-May through mid-October, likely in a single generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Forewing length ranges from 5 mm to 6.5 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The species probably produces one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults have been observed on the wing from mid-May to mid-October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 13 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Arkansas, North Carolina, California, Oklahoma, Utah, Washington, Arizona, Tennessee.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
Same family (Gelechiidae)
Angoumois Grain MothSitotroga cerealellaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Boxelder Leafworm MothChionodes obscurusella
Hairy, Toothed, and Shining Dichomeris Moths and AlliesDichomeris setosella
Black-smudged Chionodes Moth and AlliesChionodes occidentellaBlack-smudged Chionodes MothChionodes mediofuscella
Inverse and Kimball's Dichomeris MothsDichomeris inversellaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caryocolum_pullatella
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-28 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-28.