About Chionodes thoraceochrella (Chambers, 1872)
Chionodes thoraceochrella is a moth species belonging to the family Gelechiidae. This species is native to North America, with confirmed recorded records ranging from Nova Scotia and southern Quebec south to Georgia, Mississippi, Texas, and west to Washington, California, Utah, and Arizona, also including North Dakota within its recorded range. The wingspan of adult Chionodes thoraceochrella measures between 13 and 15 millimeters. The forewings have a base color of whitish fuscous, but this base color is largely obscured by a scattered sprinkling of dark brown and black scales. There is an indistinct, ill-defined whitish longitudinal streak located below the costal edge, while the costal edge itself is almost solid black. On the middle of the wing disc, there is a short oblique black dash, with a similar-shaped short black dash located just below this first dash. At the apical third of the forewing, there is an obscure, narrow white fascia that angles outwards. Just before this white fascia, there are separate costal and dorsal blackish spots that nearly meet one another. The hindwings are light fuscous, with color darkening toward the wing tip. The larvae of Chionodes thoraceochrella feed on the foliage of Quercus alba, Quercus bicolor, Quercus rubra, and Prunus virginiana.
