Bug FAQJalisco Petrophila
Petrophila jaliscalis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Crambidae
Petrophila jaliscalis is a moth in the Crambidae family and its forewings measure about 7 to 11 mm long. The larvae live in water and probably feed on algae. Adults can be seen flying almost any time of year and the species occurs from Mexico through parts of the United States and Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Petrophila jaliscalis belongs to the moth family Crambidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The length of each forewing is between 7 and 11 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
The larvae are aquatic.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae probably feed on algae.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults have been recorded on the wing nearly year-round.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults can be seen flying almost any time of year.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is found in Mexico’s Jalisco region and from Alberta down to Texas, Arizona and California.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 9 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, California, Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Nevada, Arkansas, Utah.
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
Where can I find this species?
It occurs in Mexico’s Jalisco region and from Alberta down through Texas, Arizona and California.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Crambidae)
Box Tree MothCydalima perspectalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Celery Leaftier MothUdea rubigalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Elegant Grass-veneerMicrocrambus elegans
Hawaiian Beet Webworm MothSpoladea recurvalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Garden Grass-veneerChrysoteuchia culmellaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Bluegrass Webworm MothParapediasia teterrellusDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrophila_jaliscalis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.