Bug FAQHelcystogramma melantherella
Helcystogramma melantherella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Gelechiidae
The moth has a wingspan of about 12.5 to 13 mm and deep purplish-brown forewings with a satin sheen.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The forewings are a deep purplish brown, almost black, with a satin luster.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 12.5 to 13 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 8 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Arkansas.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How can I recognize this moth?
Look for a wingspan of about 12.5 to 13 mm, deep purplish-brown forewings with a satin sheen, and a short black streak near the middle of the wing edged with white scales.
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 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/Helcystogramma_melantherella
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.