Bug FAQWhite Stripe-backed Moth
Arogalea cristifasciella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Gelechiidae
Also called: Stripe-backed Moth
The white stripe-backed moth belongs to the Gelechiidae family. Its forewings are about 5 mm long. It lives in North America and adults are seen from January through August.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Arogalea cristifasciella is the scientific name of the stripe-backed moth.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The forewing length is roughly 5 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults have been recorded on the wing from January to August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 36 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Maryland, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Connecticut.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
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
Red-necked Peanutworm MothStegasta bosqueellaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Tomato StemborerSymmetrischema tangoliasDamages trees, gardens or crops
Anisoplaca achyrotaAnisoplaca achyrotaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arogalea_cristifasciella
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.