Bug FAQOrange-dotted Dichomeris Moth
Dichomeris juncidella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Gelechiidae
The orange-dotted Dichomeris moth has a wingspan of about 13 mm and dark brown forewings marked with several ochreous-orange spots. It lives across much of North America, from eastern Canada down to Florida, Texas and Nebraska, and adults fly from March through October. Its caterpillars feed on a variety of plants such as ragweed, sagebrush, goldenrod, asters, Jerusalem artichoke and prickly ash.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Forewings are dark brown with several ochreous-orange spots on the disk, near the base, and near the tip; hindwings are dull yellowish brown.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan is about 13 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia), three-leaf sagebrush (Artemisia trifida), goldenrod (Solidago), asters, Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) and prickly ash (Aralia spinosa).
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from March to October.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The moth is active during the months March through October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to North America, ranging from eastern Canada to the southern United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 29 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Mississippi, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, New Jersey.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are adult orange-dotted Dichomeris moths active?
Adults can be seen flying from March through October.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants do the caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on ragweed, sagebrush, goldenrod, asters, Jerusalem artichoke and prickly ash.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is this moth found in North America?
It has been recorded from eastern Canada down to Florida, Texas and Nebraska.
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 setosellaBlack-smudged Chionodes MothChionodes mediofuscella
Inverse and Kimball's Dichomeris MothsDichomeris inversella
Pink-washed Aristotelia MothAristotelia roseosuffusellaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dichomeris_juncidella
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.