Bug FAQTeaweed Moth
Stegasta capitella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Gelechiidae
Source: Wikipedia
Forewings are about 4 mm long. It occurs in the West Indies and the southeastern United States, including Florida, Georgia and Texas. Adults are seen from February through August and again in October and December in Florida.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The forewing length is roughly 4 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives in the West Indies and the southeastern United States, recorded in Florida, Georgia and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on peanuts and the plant Sida spinosa.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
In Florida, adults appear from February through August and again in October and December.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes the West Indies and the southeastern United States such as Florida, Georgia and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 3 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Florida, Louisiana.
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 are adult teaweed moths active?
Adults are active from February to August and again in October and December in Florida.
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/Stegasta_capitella
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.