Bug FAQGnorimoschema gallaeasterella
Gnorimoschema gallaeasterella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Gelechiidae
The moth has a wingspan of about 20 mm and grey hindwings. Its forewings are white with brown speckles, a brown patch on the middle third, and distinct dark markings including a hooked line and black dashes. Larvae feed on Aster corymbosus and Solidago, forming spindle-shaped galls on these plants, and adults fly from June through October.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The patch is darkest toward the base and bordered by a dark brown line that ends in a hook. Two short parallel black dashes lie just behind the middle of the patch, followed by a short irregular black mark near the apex. Hindwings are grey.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan is about 20 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs in North America, recorded from several U.S. states and Canadian provinces.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on Aster corymbosus and various Solidago species. They induce spindle-shaped galls on their host plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The larvae develop inside spindle galls on Aster corymbosus and Solidago.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from June to October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 22 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, Wisconsin, Illinois, South Carolina, Missouri.
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
Questions people ask
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/Gnorimoschema_gallaeasterella
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-29 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-29.