Bug FAQMoth
Ornativalva erubescens · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Gelechiidae
The moth has a wingspan of about 17 to 18 mm. Its forewings are pale ochre with a bright rosy-red wash along the front edge, while the hindwings are iridescent grey with a brownish tint. It occurs across North Africa, the Middle East, parts of South Asia, and the southwestern United States, and adults have been seen flying in January, May, August and November.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Forewings are whitish-ochreous with a bright rosy-red suffusion along the costa for about two-thirds of their length. Hindwings are iridescent grey with a brownish tinge.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan measures 17 to 18 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults have been recorded on the wing in January, May, August and November.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 9 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Arizona, California, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, Minnesota, Oklahoma.
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
When are Ornativalva erubescens adults active?
Adults have been observed flying in January, May, August and November.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Gelechiidae)
Angoumois Grain MothSitotroga cerealellaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Black-smudged Chionodes MothChionodes mediofuscella
Inverse and Kimball's Dichomeris MothsDichomeris inversella
Pink-washed Aristotelia MothAristotelia roseosuffusella
White Stripe-backed MothArogalea cristifasciella
Burdock Seedhead MothMetzneria lappellaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ornativalva_erubescens
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.