Bug FAQSoybean Webworm Moth
Mesophleps adustipennis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Gelechiidae
The soybean webworm moth has a wingspan ranging from about 7.5 to 18 mm. It occurs in the western and southern United States as well as many parts of Central and South America and the Caribbean. Its caterpillars feed on pigeon pea, Crotalaria species, Acacia farnesiana and Pithecellobium pallens.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan is 7.5 to 18 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae eat pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan). They also feed on Crotalaria, Acacia farnesiana and Pithecellobium pallens.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Found in California, Texas, Mississippi and Florida in the United States. Also recorded in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean islands, Venezuela, Ecuador (Galápagos), Peru and Brazil.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 13 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, California, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, Hawaii, Georgia.
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
Where can I find this moth?
It lives in the western and southern United States and many countries in Central and South America and the Caribbean.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants do the larvae eat?
The caterpillars feed on pigeon pea, Crotalaria, Acacia farnesiana and Pithecellobium pallens.
Source: Wikipedia
What family does the soybean webworm moth belong to?
It is a member of the Gelechiidae family of moths.
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/Mesophleps_adustipennis
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.