Bug FAQSinoe robiniella
Sinoe robiniella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Gelechiidae
Source: Wikipedia
The adult moth has a wingspan of about 9 to 11.4 mm. The caterpillars eat the leaves of black locust, false indigo, and honey locust trees.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 9 to 11.4 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs in the United States from New York west to Indiana and south to Mississippi and Arkansas.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults fly from late April to September in southern areas and from late May to August in northern areas.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to North America, recorded in the same states as its habitat.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 19 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Wisconsin, South Carolina.
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
What plants do the larvae eat?
They feed on black locust, false indigo, and honey locust trees.
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 setosella
Black-smudged Chionodes Moth and AlliesChionodes occidentellaBlack-smudged Chionodes MothChionodes mediofuscella
Inverse and Kimball's Dichomeris MothsDichomeris inversellaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinoe_robiniella
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.