Family Gelechiidae

RECOGNITION

Diagnostic features. Larger than pink bollworm, this moth has a distinctive color pattern on the forewings: the main color of the wing is a dark brown or black but the hind margin is completely white. Three white bands extend posteriorly from the anterior margin with only the middle band reaching the hind margin. The labial palps are longer than in the pink bollworm and are completely white except for the base of the palp and often the tip of the terminal segment, which are the same brown to black color seen on the wings. The hind wing fringes of scales on the posterior margin are not longer than half the width of the hind wing and the hind wing only has a slight depression, rather than a strong “s-shaped” curve.

How to distinguish from the pink bollworm:

If the moth has not been in the trap for very long, it should be very easy to see the distinctive wing pattern with three white stripes.  If the wings are obscured or missing, dissecting the genitalia will reveal a prominent dark tooth on the valvae which, coupled with the lack of a bundle of spines on the inner face of the valvae, make it easy to distinguish from the pink bollworm.