Bug FAQPeppery Dicymolomia
Dicymolomia opuntialis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Crambidae
Peppery Dicymolomia is a small moth with a wingspan of about 13 mm. The species occurs in North America, recorded from California, and adults fly from May through September.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The moth’s wingspan measures about 13 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It has been recorded in California, North America.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae mine the joints of Opuntia cactus pads, feeding on those plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from May to September.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period for adults spans May through September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is found in North America, with records from California.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 3 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Arizona, Idaho.
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
When can I see adult Peppery Dicymolomia?
Adults are active from May through September.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the larvae of Peppery Dicymolomia eat?
The caterpillars mine and feed inside the joints of Opuntia cactus pads.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is Peppery Dicymolomia found?
It has been recorded in California, within North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Crambidae)
Box Tree MothCydalima perspectalisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Celery Leaftier MothUdea rubigalis
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/Dicymolomia_opuntialis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-28 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-28.