Bug FAQChambers' Twirler
Helcystogramma chambersella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Gelechiidae
The forewings measure about 3.5 to 5 mm in length. Adults are seen from April through September. The larvae feed on several ragweed species (Ambrosia artemisiifolia, A. confertifolia, A. ptilostachya).
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Forewing length ranges from 3.5 to 5 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae eat ragweed plants: Ambrosia artemisiifolia, A. confertifolia and A. ptilostachya.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults have been observed on the wing from April to September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 6 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, California, Michigan, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are Chambers' Twirler moths active?
Adults are on the wing from April through September.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the larvae eat?
They feed on ragweed species such as Ambrosia artemisiifolia, A. confertifolia and A. ptilostachya.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Gelechiidae)
Angoumois Grain MothSitotroga cerealellaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Boxelder Leafworm MothChionodes obscurusella
Hairy, Toothed, and Shining Dichomeris Moths and AlliesDichomeris setosellaBlack-smudged Chionodes MothChionodes mediofuscella
Inverse and Kimball's Dichomeris MothsDichomeris inversella
Pink-washed Aristotelia MothAristotelia roseosuffusellaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helcystogramma_chambersella
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-27 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-27.