Bug FAQSpeckled Talponia Moth
Talponia plummeriana · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Tortricidae
Source: Wikipedia
Adults have a wingspan of about 9 to 10 mm and are powdery gray on the thorax and base of the forewing, with purplish-brown on the outer forewing and hind wing. The species lives throughout the native range of the pawpaw in the southeastern United States, where its larvae feed on Asimina species and can lower fruit production.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Adults are powdery gray on the thorax and the basal half of the forewing, while the hind wing and outer half of the forewing are purplish brown.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan measures about 9 to 10 mm (roughly 23⁄64 to 25⁄64 inches).
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
Larvae bore into the flower peduncle, causing the flower to drop and lowering fruit yield. They have also been observed burrowing into the fruit itself.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It may be found wherever pawpaws grow within its native range.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on Asimina species, especially the common pawpaw (Asimina triloba).
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The species can survive the high annonacin levels found in pawpaws, a trait few insects share.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 19 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How does Talponia plummeriana damage pawpaws?
The larvae tunnel into flower stalks, making the flowers drop, and they can also bore into the fruit, both of which reduce the harvest.
Source: Wikipedia
What does an adult Talponia plummeriana look like?
Adults are about 9 to 10 mm across, with a powdery gray thorax and base of the forewing, and purplish-brown hind wings and outer forewing.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is Talponia plummeriana found?
It lives throughout the southeastern United States wherever pawpaws grow.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Tortricidae)
Oblique-banded Leafroller MothChoristoneura rosaceanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Garden TortrixClepsis peritanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Common MarbleSyricoris lacunanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Red-banded Leafroller MothArgyrotaenia velutinanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Light Brown Apple MothEpiphyas postvittanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Aster and Reddish Eucosma Moths and AlliesEucosma parmatanaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talponia_plummeriana
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-27 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-27.