Bug FAQPalo Verde webworm
Faculta inaequalis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Gelechiidae
The Palo Verde webworm moth has a wingspan of about 13 mm and distinctive forewing markings, including ochreous-whitish speckled grey with a small blackish dot near the base and a narrow black band partway along the wing. It occurs in Mexico and the United States, having been recorded in California, Arizona and New Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The forewings are a speckled grey-white color with a small blackish dot near the base and a raised spot in the disc, plus a narrow black band starting a third of the way along the costa.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The adult’s wingspan measures about 13 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It has been found in the United States, specifically in California, Arizona and New Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes Mexico and the United States, with records from California, Arizona and New Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 5 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Nevada.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What does the Palo Verde webworm look like?
It has a wingspan of about 13 mm and forewings that are ochreous-whitish speckled grey with a small blackish dot near the base, a raised spot in the disc, and a narrow black band partway along the wing.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the Palo Verde webworm found?
It occurs in Mexico and the United States, with records from California, Arizona and New Mexico.
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/Faculta_inaequalis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.