Bug FAQIsophrictis magnella
Isophrictis magnella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Gelechiidae
Isophrictis magnella is a small moth with a wingspan of about 15.5 to 16.5 mm. Its forewings are yellow-gray with distinctive white and black markings, and the hindwings are dark gray. The species occurs in North America, recorded from several U.S. states and Ontario, Canada, and its larvae feed on the plant Hazardia squarrosa.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 15.5 to 16.5 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It has been recorded in California, Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Ontario.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on the plant Hazardia squarrosa.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Isophrictis magnella was first described by August Busck in 1903.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The moth is native to North America, with records from several U.S. states and Ontario, Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 9 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Montana, Texas, Colorado, California, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do the larvae of Isophrictis magnella eat?
The larvae feed on Hazardia squarrosa.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is Isophrictis magnella found?
It occurs in North America, with records from several U.S. states and Ontario, Canada.
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/Isophrictis_magnella
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.