Bug FAQGold-banded Etiella Moth
Etiella zinckenella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Pyralidae
Also called: Legume Knot-horn
Source: Wikipedia
The gold-banded Etiella moth has a wingspan of about 22 to 26 mm and distinctive yellow-brown forewings with a lighter stripe and a yellow-chestnut band near one-third of the wing. Its larvae feed on many beans and other legumes, and can become a serious pest of these crops. It is native to southern and eastern Europe and tropical-subtropical Africa and Asia, and has been introduced to North America and Australia.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Hindwings are pale grey with dark veins and a double dark line just before the fringe.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults have a wingspan ranging from 22 to 26 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
The moth is usually a minor pest of legumes but can become a serious pest under certain conditions.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs in southern and eastern Europe as well as tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and Asia.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on many legumes such as mung bean, cowpea, soybean, peas, chickpea and other Fabaceae species. They have also been recorded feeding on the plant Catha edulis.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes southern and eastern Europe and the tropical-subtropical zones of Africa and Asia. It has been introduced beyond its native range to North America and Australia.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 22 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, California, Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Massachusetts, Idaho, North Carolina.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: introduced in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What crops does the gold-banded Etiella moth damage?
Its larvae feed on many beans and other legumes, including mung bean, soybean, peas and chickpea, and can become a serious pest of these crops.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is this moth found?
It is native to southern and eastern Europe and tropical-subtropical Africa and Asia, and has been introduced to North America and Australia.
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/Etiella_zinckenella
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.