Bug FAQSimilar Pelochrista
Pelochrista similiana · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Tortricidae
Also called: Similar Eucosma
Forewings measure about 8 to 11 mm in length, with males slightly smaller than females. Adults fly from July through September in fields and waste areas across the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. Larvae live in the rootstalks of goldenrod (Solidago) plants.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
It belongs to the tortricid moth family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Forewing length ranges from 8.1 to 11 mm in males and 8.2 to 10.3 mm in females.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives in open fields and waste areas.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed inside the rootstalks of Solidago (goldenrod) species.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from July to September.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults appear during the summer months, July through September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is found in North America, especially the northeastern U.S. and southeastern Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 28 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Ohio, Massachusetts, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Wisconsin, New York, Michigan.
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
Questions people ask
What plants do the larvae feed on?
The larvae feed inside the rootstalks of goldenrod (Solidago) plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is this moth found?
It occurs in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada.
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/Eucosma_similiana
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.