Gracillariidae
Guides
Acrocercopinae
Acrocercopinae is a subfamily of leaf-mining moths in the family Gracillariidae, established by Kawahara & Ohshima in 2016. The subfamily contains approximately 30 genera including Acrocercops, Cryptolectica, Dialectica, and Spulerina. Species in this subfamily are known from Australia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and other regions. Recent taxonomic revisions using museomics and mitogenomics have clarified species boundaries and reclassified some Australian species previously placed in Ornixolinae.
Acrocercops
Acrocercops is a genus of leaf-mining moths in the family Gracillariidae. Species in this genus are primarily known as internal feeders on plant foliage, creating mines within leaves. Several species have been extensively studied as models for host race formation and host-associated speciation, particularly A. transecta, which exhibits distinct host races on distantly related plant families. The genus includes both native and invasive species, with some members recognized as agricultural pests.
Acrocercops arbutella
Acrocercops arbutella is a small moth in the family Gracillariidae, first described by Braun in 1925. The species is endemic to Arizona, United States, where it occurs on its host plant Arbutus arizonica. Larvae are leaf miners that create distinctive upper surface blotch mines on the leaves of their host.
Acrocercops astericola
Aster Tentiform Blotchminer
Acrocercops astericola is a leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae. The species is known from eastern North America, where larvae feed on asteraceous host plants. Adults are small moths typical of the microlepidoptera. The common name refers to the distinctive tentiform blotch mines created by larval feeding.
Anarsioses
Anarsioses is a genus of leafmining moths in the family Gracillariidae, established by Davis in 2019 to accommodate the species formerly known as Phyllonorycter aberrans. The genus was separated from Phyllonorycter based on distinctive morphological and molecular evidence, particularly the unusual asymmetry of the male genitalia and differences in larval biology. It is currently monotypic, containing only the type species Anarsioses aberrans.
Anarsioses aberrans
A small leafmining moth in the family Gracillariidae, originally described from North America in 1930. The species was transferred between multiple genera before molecular and morphological studies established its placement in the new genus Anarsioses, distinguished from related Phyllonorycter by asymmetrical male genitalia and distinct larval biology.
Aristaea
Aristaea is a genus of small moths in the family Gracillariidae, established by Edward Meyrick in 1907. The genus comprises twelve described species distributed across Australia, Asia, and parts of Europe. Members are leaf-mining moths, with larvae that feed internally on plant tissues. The genus includes the type species Aristaea thalassias, described by Meyrick in 1880.
Callisto
Callisto is a genus of moths in the family Gracillariidae, first described by Stephens in 1834. These small moths belong to the superfamily Gracillarioidea and are classified within the subfamily Gracillariinae and tribe Parornichini. The genus is part of a diverse family of leaf-mining moths, though specific biological details for Callisto remain limited in the available literature.
Caloptilia
leaf cone moths, leaf blotch miner moths
Caloptilia is a genus of small moths in the family Gracillariidae, commonly known as leaf cone moths or leaf blotch miner moths. Larvae are leaf miners that typically feed internally on leaf tissue during early instars, then later instars roll or fold leaves into protective cones or shelters where they complete development and pupate. The genus contains numerous species, many of which are host-specific to particular tree or shrub genera. Several species have become economically significant as pests of ornamental and horticultural plants, including Caloptilia fraxinella on ash trees and Caloptilia azaleella on azaleas.
Caloptilia acerifoliella
Caloptilia acerifoliella is a leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae. It is known from limited records in Colorado and Utah in the United States. The larvae feed on Acer species, creating blotch mines in leaves. The species was described by Chambers in 1875.
Caloptilia anthobaphes
A leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae, found in eastern North America. The larvae feed on Vaccinium species, creating mines in leaves. Adults are attracted to ultraviolet light sources. The species was described by Edward Meyrick in 1921.
Caloptilia belfragella
Dogwood Caloptilia Moth
Caloptilia belfragella is a small moth in the family Gracillariidae, commonly known as the Dogwood Caloptilia Moth. Its larvae are leaf miners that feed on several host plants including dogwoods (Cornus), staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina), and blueberries (Vaccinium). The species occurs in eastern North America from Quebec south to Texas.
Caloptilia bimaculatella
Maple Caloptilia Moth
Caloptilia bimaculatella is a small leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae. It is known from eastern North America, with records from Canada (Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia) and the eastern United States. The species has a wingspan of 9–10 mm. Larvae feed on red maple (Acer rubrum), creating blotch mines in the leaves.
Caloptilia burgessiella
Dogwood Conical Leafroller Moth
Caloptilia burgessiella is a small moth in the family Gracillariidae, commonly known as the Dogwood Conical Leafroller Moth. The larvae are leaf miners that feed on dogwoods (Cornus species) and blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum). The species occurs in northeastern North America and has been recorded as far west as California.
Caloptilia burserella
Caloptilia burserella is a leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae. The species is known from Florida, USA and Cuba. Its larvae feed on leaves of Bursera gummifera, Bursera simaruba, and Persea americana, creating characteristic blotch mines.
Caloptilia canadensisella
Caloptilia canadensisella is a leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae. It is known from eastern Canada, specifically Nova Scotia and Québec. The larvae feed on Cornus canadensis (bunchberry), creating mines in the leaves of this host plant. The species was described by James Halliday McDunnough in 1956.
Caloptilia coroniella
Caloptilia coroniella is a small moth in the family Gracillariidae, known from eastern Canada and the northeastern and midwestern United States. The larvae are leaf miners that feed on birch species (Betula), creating distinctive blotch mines on the leaves. Adults are attracted to ultraviolet light and have been documented during summer moth surveys.
Caloptilia fraxinella
Ash Leaf Cone Roller, Ash Leaf Cone Roller Moth
Caloptilia fraxinella is a leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae. Native to North America, it has become a significant pest of horticultural ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) in Canadian Prairie cities and parts of the United States. The species exhibits an unusual life history with a 9-month adult reproductive diapause; adults eclose in summer, overwinter, and mate the following spring. Larvae mine ash leaves and eventually roll leaflets into cones for pupation.
Caloptilia hypericella
A small leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae with a wingspan of approximately 8 mm. The species is specialized on Hypericum (St. John's wort) host plants, with larvae creating blotch mines in leaves. It occurs in eastern North America from Québec to the Ohio River Valley.
Caloptilia invariabilis
Cherry Leaf-cone Caterpillar Moth
Caloptilia invariabilis is a small moth in the family Gracillariidae, commonly known as the cherry leaf-cone caterpillar moth. The species has a wingspan of approximately 15 mm. Its larvae are leaf miners that feed on several Prunus species, creating distinctive mines that begin as linear tracks and terminate in small underside blotches. The species is known from scattered localities in Canada and the United States.
Caloptilia murtfeldtella
Caloptilia murtfeldtella is a small gracillariid moth known for its distinctive larval biology. The species creates stem galls on Penstemon plants, with larvae developing inside individual galls before emerging through a specially prepared epidermal window. Adults overwinter and have been recorded across multiple U.S. states and Canadian provinces. The species was named in honor of naturalist Mary Murtfeldt, who collected the type specimens.
Caloptilia negundella
Boxelder Leafroller Moth, boxelder leafroller
Caloptilia negundella is a small moth in the family Gracillariidae, commonly known as the boxelder leafroller moth. The species was first described by V.T. Chambers in 1876. It is attracted to ultraviolet light sources and has been documented at moth lighting events in Colorado.
Caloptilia nondeterminata
Caloptilia nondeterminata is a species of leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae. It has been documented in Oregon and Washington in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The larvae are known to feed on Ribes species, creating mines in the leaves of their host plants. Like other members of the genus Caloptilia, it likely undergoes the typical gracillariid life cycle involving an initial sap-feeding mine followed by a feeding stage where the larva rolls or ties leaves.
Caloptilia ostryaeella
Ironwood Leafcone Moth
Caloptilia ostryaeella is a small moth in the family Gracillariidae, commonly known as the Ironwood Leafcone Moth. The species is known from eastern North America, with records from Québec, Canada, and several states in the northeastern and midwestern United States. Its larvae are specialized leaf miners that feed on species of hophornbeam (Ostrya) and hornbeam (Carpinus).
Caloptilia packardella
Caloptilia packardella is a small leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae. The species is known from Quebec, Canada, and several northeastern and midwestern U.S. states. Its larvae feed on maple species (Acer), creating blotch mines in leaves.
Caloptilia porphyretica
blueberry leafminer
Caloptilia porphyretica is a small moth in the family Gracillariidae, commonly known as the blueberry leafminer. It is documented from North Carolina and New Jersey, where it is recognized as a frequent pest in commercial highbush blueberry operations. The species produces at least three generations annually. Larvae are leaf miners, feeding internally on leaf tissue of host plants.
Caloptilia reticulata
Caloptilia reticulata is a small moth in the family Gracillariidae, known exclusively from California, United States. The larvae are leaf miners on oaks, specifically documented on Quercus agrifolia (coast live oak) and Quercus wislizeni (interior live oak). As with other Caloptilia species, the larvae likely create blotch mines within oak leaves and may fold or roll leaves in later instars.
Caloptilia serotinella
Cherry Leafroller Moth
A small moth in the family Gracillariidae known for its distinctive leaf-rolling larval behavior. The caterpillar constructs leaf rolls on cherry and related host plants by spinning silk strands between opposing leaf surfaces, generating collective force exceeding 0.1 N to draw leaves into tight cylinders. Adults are attracted to ultraviolet light and have been documented at moth-lighting events in North America.
Caloptilia stigmatella
Willow Leafcone Caterpillar Moth
A small leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae with a wingspan of 12–14 mm. Adults display distinctive red-brown forewings with a triangular white median costal blotch marked with blackish dots, and grey hindwings. The species has two adult flight periods annually and larvae feed on leaves of willows, poplars, and bog myrtle. It occurs across the Holarctic region, excluding the Balkan Peninsula.
Caloptilia strictella
Caloptilia strictella is a species of microlepidopteran moth in the family Gracillariidae. It is known from scattered records across northern and eastern North America, including the Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Québec, Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Northwest Territories, as well as Maine in the United States. Like other members of its genus, it is likely a leaf-mining species, though specific host plant associations remain undocumented.
Caloptilia superbifrontella
Witch-hazel Caloptilia
Caloptilia superbifrontella is a small moth in the family Gracillariidae, commonly known as the Witch-hazel Caloptilia. The species is restricted to eastern North America, with records from Canada (Québec and Nova Scotia) and the eastern and central United States. Larvae are leaf miners that feed exclusively on Hamamelis species, including witch-hazel and related shrubs.
Caloptilia triadicae
Chinese Tallow Leaf Miner
Caloptilia triadicae is a small moth in the family Gracillariidae, described by Davis in 2013. It is a leaf-mining specialist on Chinese tallow tree (Triadica sebifera), an invasive plant in the southeastern United States. The species is adventive (non-native) in North America and has been investigated for its potential as a biological control agent. Its seasonal abundance patterns and parasitoid associations have been studied in Florida.
Caloptilia undescribed-nr-umbratella
An undescribed species in the genus Caloptilia, closely related to C. umbratella. Like other Caloptilia species, it is a leaf blotch miner moth whose larvae create distinctive feeding patterns on host plant leaves. The species remains taxonomically unresolved pending formal description.
Caloptilia undescribed-rhus
An undescribed species in the genus Caloptilia, recognized as a leaf blotch miner moth associated with Rhus (sumac) host plants. As a member of the Gracillariidae family, it exhibits the characteristic larval behavior of creating blotch mines within leaf tissue. The species remains formally undescribed in scientific literature, known primarily from observations and informal documentation.
Caloptilia undescribed-ribes
An undescribed species of leaf blotch miner moth in the genus Caloptilia, known to feed on currants and gooseberries (Ribes). This species belongs to a large genus of small moths whose larvae create distinctive blotch mines in leaves. The specific epithet 'undescribed-ribes' indicates its host plant association prior to formal scientific description.
Caloptilia vacciniella
Caloptilia vacciniella is a small leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae. The species is known from eastern North America, with records from Quebec, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Maine, Michigan, and Massachusetts. Larvae are specialized feeders on Vaccinium species, including lowbush blueberry, highbush blueberry, and hillside blueberry.
Caloptilia violacella
Tick-Trefoil Caloptilia Moth
Caloptilia violacella is a small gracillariid moth with a wingspan of approximately 10 mm. The species is distributed across the eastern and central United States, with records from Illinois, Missouri, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, New York, and Texas. Larvae are leaf miners that feed on leguminous host plants including pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), tick-trefoils (Desmodium species), and Meibomia dillenii. The common name "Tick-Trefoil Caloptilia Moth" reflects its association with Desmodium host plants.
Cameraria
Cameraria is a genus of leaf-mining moths in the family Gracillariidae. Larvae feed internally on leaf tissue, creating distinctive mines. The genus includes both native and invasive species, with Cameraria ohridella being a notable invasive pest of horse-chestnut trees in Europe. Species are associated primarily with host plants in the families Sapindaceae (Aesculus, Acer) and Fagaceae (Quercus, Castanea).
Cameraria aesculisella
Cameraria aesculisella is a small leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae. The species is known from the eastern and southeastern United States, where its larvae create distinctive blotch mines on leaves of Aesculus (buckeye) species. Larvae hibernate through winter and resume development in spring.
Cameraria australisella
A leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae, known from Illinois and Texas. The larvae create mines in leaves of white oak and shingle oak.
Cameraria betulivora
Cameraria betulivora is a small leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae. Adults have a wingspan of approximately 7 mm. The species is restricted to eastern North America, where its larvae feed exclusively on Betula (birch) species.
Cameraria castaneaeella
Cameraria castaneaeella is a small Neotropical leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae, first described by Chambers in 1875. The species is known from the northeastern and north-central United States. Larvae create mines in leaves of Castanea and Quercus species, making it a specialist herbivore on these host plants. Adults are tiny moths with a wingspan of only 6–7.5 mm.
Cameraria cincinnatiella
Gregarious Oak Leafminer Moth
Cameraria cincinnatiella is a small leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae, commonly known as the gregarious oak leafminer moth. The species was described by Chambers in 1871 and is native to eastern and central North America. Adults have a wingspan of approximately 15 mm. Larvae are specialized feeders on Quercus (oak) species, creating distinctive mines in leaves.
Cameraria conglomeratella
Conglomerate Oak Leafminer Moth
A small moth in the family Gracillariidae with a wingspan of 7.5–9 mm. The larvae are leaf miners on Quercus species. Recorded from ten U.S. states.
Cameraria corylisella
Hazel Blotchminer
Cameraria corylisella is a minute leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae, commonly known as the Hazel Blotchminer. It is restricted to eastern North America, where larvae create blotch mines in leaves of hornbeams, hazels, and hophornbeams (genera Carpinus, Corylus, and Ostrya). Adults are active in spring and early summer.
Cameraria diabloensis
Cameraria diabloensis is a minute leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae, described by Opler & Davis in 1981. The species is endemic to California, United States, and is associated with a specific host plant, Quercus chrysolepis var. nana. Its larvae create characteristic mines in the leaves of this oak species. The species epithet refers to Mount Diablo in California.
Cameraria gaultheriella
gaultheria leafminer moth
Cameraria gaultheriella is a small gracillariid moth with a wingspan of 10–11 mm. The species is native to western North America (British Columbia, California, Oregon) and Maine, with adventive records in Europe where it has not established. Larvae are leaf miners on Gaultheria species, particularly Gaultheria shallon (salal). Adults respond to (E,Z)-8,10-tetradecadienal, a pheromone shared with related Cameraria species.
Cameraria guttifinitella
Poison Ivy Leaf-miner Moth
A small North American leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae, with a wingspan of approximately 7 mm. Larvae are specialized feeders on poison ivy and poison oak (Toxicodendron species), creating characteristic mines within leaves. Females exhibit low leaf selectivity prior to oviposition, accepting 78% of available leaves but actually ovipositing on only 2%. The species maintains low population densities compared to congener Cameraria ohridella, attributed to more effective top-down control by parasitoids.
Cameraria hamadryadella
Solitary Oak Leafminer, Solitary Oak Leafminer Moth
Cameraria hamadryadella is a small leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae, widely distributed across temperate North America. The larvae feed exclusively on oak (Quercus) species, creating distinctive mines within leaves. Adults are active in spring with typically two generations per year, though a facultative third generation may occur in warm years. Population dynamics are strongly influenced by host plant phenology, particularly the timing of autumn leaf fall, which can account for more than 50% of mortality in years with early leaf drop.
Cameraria hamameliella
Witchhazel Leafminer
Cameraria hamameliella is a minute leaf-mining moth in the family Gracillariidae, first described by August Busck in 1903. The species is narrowly associated with witchhazel (Hamamelis) as its larval host, with larvae creating distinctive mines within leaves. It occurs throughout eastern North America, where it is the primary leafminer documented on native Hamamelis virginiana.