Bug FAQStreaked Twirler
Symmetrischema striatella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Gelechiidae
The Streaked Twirler is a small moth with a wingspan of about 11 to 13 mm. It is native to North America and has also been introduced to New Zealand.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The forewings are light brown with sparse black speckles and a distinct black line running near the front edge from base to tip, plus additional faint black streaks. The hindwings are silky ash-white, turning to a gray shade at the tips.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults have a wingspan of 11 to 13 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
In North America it has been recorded in many states including Alabama, California, Florida, Illinois, Maine, and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on the berries of the plant Solanum nigrum.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is found in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 24 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey.
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
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/Symmetrischema_striatella
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.