Leaf-miner
Guides
Stigmella corylifoliella
Stigmella corylifoliella is a minute moth in the family Nepticulidae, described by James Brackenridge Clemens in 1861. The species has a wingspan of approximately 3.5 mm and is distributed across much of North America, from the eastern United States to the Pacific coast and southern Canada. Its larvae are leaf miners that feed on a diverse array of host plants.
Stigmella fuscotibiella
Stigmella fuscotibiella is a pygmy moth in the family Nepticulidae, characterized by its diminutive size and leaf-mining larval habit. The species is distributed across eastern and central North America, with records from the United States and Canada. Its larvae feed on willow species (Salix), creating characteristic mines in host plant leaves.
Stigmella juglandifoliella
Pecan serpentine leafminer
Stigmella juglandifoliella is a microlepidopteran moth in the family Nepticulidae, commonly known as the pecan serpentine leafminer. The species is a specialist herbivore whose larvae create serpentine mines in the leaves of pecan (Carya illinoinensis). It is currently known from a restricted range in the eastern United States.
Stigmella lapponica
Stigmella lapponica is a minute moth in the family Nepticulidae, described by Maximilian Ferdinand Wocke in 1862 from northern Norway. The species is notable for its leaf-mining larvae that feed exclusively on birch leaves, creating distinctive slender galleries. Adults are active in May with a single generation per year, though partial second broods have been suggested. The moth occurs across the Holarctic region, including Europe, Asia, and North America.
Stigmella longisacca
Stigmella longisacca is a pygmy moth in the family Nepticulidae, first described in 1982. It is endemic to California, where its larvae are leaf miners on Juglans species, particularly Juglans californica. The species has a wingspan of 3.2–4.4 mm and appears to have two to three generations per year.
Stigmella macrocarpae
Stigmella macrocarpae is a pygmy moth in the family Nepticulidae, named for its association with Quercus macrocarpa (bur oak). The species occurs across eastern and central North America, with populations extending to the Pacific Northwest. Larvae are leaf miners that feed internally on oak leaves, creating distinctive serpentine mines. The species was originally described as Stigmella latifasciella in 1878, but this name was preoccupied by a European species, necessitating the current name established in 2016.
Stigmella microtheriella
Hazel leaf miner moth, Hazel Leafminer Moth
Stigmella microtheriella is a minute leaf-mining moth in the family Nepticulidae, with a wingspan of only 3–4 mm. The species is native to Europe and Asia, and was introduced to New Zealand from Britain between 1850 and 1860, likely via imported hazel trees. Its larvae create distinctive narrow, angular mines in the leaves of hazel (Corylus species) and hornbeams (Carpinus species). Adults are parthenogenetic and fly in May and August.
Stigmella myricafoliella
Stigmella myricafoliella is a minute leaf-mining moth in the family Nepticulidae, recorded in eastern North America from Florida to Nova Scotia. The species has a wingspan of 5–5.2 mm. Larvae are specialist feeders on Myrica species, creating distinctive blotch mines in leaves.
Stigmella nigriverticella
Stigmella nigriverticella is a minute leaf-mining moth in the family Nepticulidae, characterized by a wingspan of 4.4–5.2 mm. It occurs in the eastern and central United States, with records from Texas, Ohio, New York, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky. The species likely produces three generations annually. Specimens have been collected on wild cherry (Prunus), though host plant confirmation remains incomplete.
Stigmella ostryaefoliella
Stigmella ostryaefoliella is a pygmy moth in the family Nepticulidae. The species is known from the eastern United States and Ontario, Canada. Larvae are leaf miners that feed on several hardwood genera. Adults have two generations per year.
Stigmella populetorum
Stigmella populetorum is a minute leaf-mining moth in the family Nepticulidae, with a wingspan of approximately 5 mm. It occurs across North America from Texas and Ohio to California, with additional records in Ontario and British Columbia. The species completes two to three generations annually, with adults active from late June through September and larval activity observed in mid-June and August.
Stigmella quercipulchella
Stigmella quercipulchella is a pygmy moth in the family Nepticulidae. The species is a leaf miner whose larvae feed on oak species (Quercus), creating distinctive tunnels within leaves. It occurs in the eastern United States and southern Ontario, Canada. The species has two generations per year.
Stigmella resplendensella
Stigmella resplendensella is a minute leaf-mining moth in the family Nepticulidae. It has been recorded from Kentucky in North America. The species has a wingspan of approximately 6 mm. Larvae feed on Celtis occidentalis (common hackberry), creating mines in the leaves.
Stigmella rhamnicola
Stigmella rhamnicola is a pygmy moth in the family Nepticulidae. The species exhibits seasonal dimorphism in wing size, with the winter generation being slightly larger than the summer generation. It produces two to three generations annually, with mines most abundant in October. The species is a leaf miner specialist on Rhamnus lanceolata.
Stigmella rhoifoliella
Stigmella rhoifoliella is a minute leaf-mining moth in the family Nepticulidae, native to the eastern United States. The species is notable for its extremely small size and specialized larval feeding behavior on poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans). It produces distinctive serpentine leaf mines on its host plant. The moth has a multivoltine life cycle with two to three generations annually, with adult flight periods concentrated in June and August.
Stigmella saginella
Stigmella saginella is a minute moth in the family Nepticulidae, commonly known as pygmy moths or microlepidoptera. The species is native to North America and has been documented across a broad geographic range spanning the eastern United States, parts of the Midwest, California, and southeastern Canada. Larvae are leaf miners that feed exclusively on oak species (Quercus), creating distinctive tunnels within leaf tissue.
Stigmella sclerostylota
A pygmy moth in the family Nepticulidae, Stigmella sclerostylota is a leaf-mining species known from limited records in North America. The species was described in 1982 and has been documented in Arkansas and Ontario. As with other Stigmella species, the larvae feed internally on leaf tissue, creating distinctive mines.
Stigmella tiliella
Stigmella tiliella is a pygmy moth in the family Nepticulidae, known for its extremely small size and leaf-mining larval behavior. The species is restricted to the eastern United States, specifically Ohio and Kentucky. Its larvae are specialized feeders on Tilia americana (American basswood), creating distinctive mines in the leaves. Adults exhibit bivoltine phenology with two generations per year.
Stigmella undescribed-species-on-carya
An undescribed species of pygmy moth in the family Nepticulidae, genus Stigmella, associated with Carya (hickory) as a host plant. The species has not yet received a formal scientific name but is recognized as distinct based on host association and presumably morphological or genetic differentiation from described congeners.
Stigmella undescribed-species-on-frangula-purshiana
An undescribed species of pygmy moth in the genus Stigmella (family Nepticulidae) associated with Frangula purshiana (cascara buckthorn). As a member of this genus, it is a leaf-mining moth whose larvae feed internally within leaf tissue. The species has not yet received formal scientific description, though its host plant association has been documented. Stigmella species are typically small, with adults often measuring less than 5 mm in wingspan, and are recognized by their distinctive larval feeding patterns.
Stigmella variella
Stigmella variella is a pygmy moth in the family Nepticulidae, characterized by its small size and leaf-mining larval habit. The species is known from California and Arizona, where larvae feed on three oak species. Adults have a wingspan of 5.5–7.5 mm. Two to three generations occur annually in California, with active leaf mines present from July to early September and February to April.
Stigmella villosella
Stigmella villosella is a pygmy moth in the family Nepticulidae, first described by Clemens in 1861. It is one of the smallest moth species in North America, with adults measuring only 2.8–4.6 mm in wingspan. The species is known from a limited distribution in the eastern and south-central United States.
Stilbosis quadricustatella
Stilbosis quadricustatella is a leaf-mining moth in the family Cosmopterigidae. It creates internal mines in oak leaves and exhibits host-specific variation in population density, with higher densities on sand live oak (Quercus geminata) compared to water oak (Quercus nigra). Its population dynamics are shaped by differential parasitism and predation rates across host species.
Stilbosis tesquella
Hog-peanut Leaf-sewer
Stilbosis tesquella is a small moth in the family Cosmopterigidae, described by James Brackenridge Clemens in 1860. It is distributed across eastern and central North America, with records from 17 U.S. states and Quebec. The species is notable for its specialized larval diet on leguminous plants.
Stilbosis venifica
Stilbosis venifica is a small moth in the family Cosmopterigidae, described by Ronald W. Hodges in 1964. It is known from a limited number of records in the eastern and central United States. The species belongs to a genus whose members are generally associated with leaf-mining habits on woody plants.
Sumitrosis inaequalis
Sumitrosis inaequalis is a small leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Cassidinae. Adults measure 3.4–4.2 mm and exhibit highly variable coloration, ranging from pale yellow with faint markings to predominantly black with yellow spots. The species is distributed across Central America and much of North America, with records from Canada and the United States. It is a leaf miner, feeding internally on host plant foliage.
Sumitrosis rosea
leafminer beetle
Sumitrosis rosea is a small leaf-mining beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, commonly known as the leafminer beetle. Adults measure 3.3–4.5 mm and exhibit highly variable coloration, with elytra ranging from pale yellow with faint black markings to black with faint yellow spots. The species is native to North America and has been documented feeding on a range of host plants, particularly in the family Fabaceae.
Swammerdamia pyrella
Little Ermel, Rufous-tipped Swammerdamia Moth
A small ermine moth (Yponomeutidae) with a wingspan of 10–13 mm, distributed across Europe, North America, and Japan. Adults fly in two generations from late April to August. Larvae feed on Rosaceae fruit trees, initially mining leaves then feeding externally while tying leaf edges with silk to form protective 'boats'. The species serves as host to a diverse parasitoid community and is subject to significant natural biological control.
Sympiesis
Sympiesis is a genus of small parasitoid wasps in the family Eulophidae. Species are primarily ectoparasitoids of lepidopteran larvae, particularly leaf-mining moths in the family Gracillariidae, though some species attack other caterpillar groups including Hesperiidae (skippers) and Hyblaeidae. Several species have been studied for their potential as biological control agents of agricultural pests. The genus has been documented from North America, Europe, and South Asia.
Tanysphyrus lemnae
Duckweed Weevil
Tanysphyrus lemnae is a small weevil species native to Europe with established populations in North America. The larvae are leaf-miners that develop within duckweed plants of the genus Lemna. The species is commonly known as the Duckweed Weevil due to this specialized host relationship.
Taphrocerus
Taphrocerus is a genus of metallic wood-boring beetles (family Buprestidae) comprising over 190 described species, predominantly distributed across North, Central, and South America. One anomalous species has been described from South Africa. Members are commonly referred to as "sedgie wedgies" among coleopterists due to their frequent association with sedges and related wetland plants. The genus exhibits leaf-mining larval biology, with larvae developing within the leaf tissue of host plants.
Taphrocerus schaefferi
Taphrocerus schaefferi is a species of metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae. The species is a leaf-miner whose larvae develop within the leaves of yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus). It is found in North America with records from the United States and Canada including Alberta, Ontario, and Saskatchewan.
Telamoptilia hibiscivora
Telamoptilia hibiscivora is a species of minute moth in the family Gracillariidae, described by Davis & Davis in 2017. The species name indicates an association with hibiscus plants. It is known from multiple eastern US states.
Teleiopsis
Teleiopsis is a genus of small moths in the family Gelechiidae, first described by Sattler in 1960. The genus contains eleven recognized species with a predominantly Holarctic distribution centered around the Mediterranean region. Larvae of at least one species (Teleiopsis diffinis) have been documented as leaf-miners, though biological data for most species remains limited.
Tinagma obscurofasciella
Tinagma obscurofasciella is a small moth in the family Douglasiidae, recorded from the northeastern and north-central United States. Adults are active in spring and early summer. The larvae are leaf miners that feed on rosaceous plants, particularly Geum and Potentilla species.
Tischeria quercitella
Oak Blotch Miner Moth
Tischeria quercitella is a leaf-mining moth in the family Tischeriidae. Its larvae create distinctive blotch mines on the leaves of oaks (Quercus) and chestnuts (Castanea). The species is documented across eastern North America, with records from Ontario south to Virginia and west to Missouri and Illinois.
Tischerioidea
Trumpet Leafminer Moths, Trumpet Leaf Miner Moths
A monobasic superfamily of minute moths containing a single family, Tischeriidae. Larvae are leaf miners that produce distinctive trumpet-shaped mines in host plant foliage. The group holds phylogenetic significance as a candidate sister taxon to the Ditrysia, the largest clade of Lepidoptera. Females possess a monotrysian reproductive system, a plesiomorphic trait shared with other basal lepidopteran lineages.
Tracheini
Tracheini is a tribe of leaf-mining jewel beetles (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in the subfamily Agrilinae. The tribe comprises primarily two genera: Habroloma and Trachys. These beetles are characterized by their small size and specialized larval habit of mining leaves of woody and herbaceous plants. Adults are typically found on host plant foliage. The tribe has a cosmopolitan distribution with notable diversity in Japan (32 species recorded) and South America. Two new Japanese species, Habroloma elaeocarpusi and H. taxillusi, were described in 2023, expanding known host associations to include Elaeocarpaceae and Loranthaceae.
Trachys
Leaf-mining Jewel Beetles
Trachys is a genus of leaf-mining jewel beetles (Buprestidae: Trachyinae) characterized by their flattened, compact, wedge-shaped adult morphology—an adaptation distinct from the elongate cylindrical form typical of most buprestids. The genus contains approximately 20 species in Japan and is widely distributed from Africa through Asia to Europe. Larvae mine within leaves rather than boring through wood, a habit that has driven their distinctive body plan. Some species are significant forest and agricultural pests, including the introduced Trachys minutus established in Massachusetts and T. yanoi, a serious pest of Zelkova serrata in East Asia.
Trachys minutus
elm leaf miner
Trachys minutus is a small jewel beetle (Buprestidae) measuring 3–3.5 mm in length. It is native to Europe and the eastern Palearctic region and has been introduced to North America, where it is established in Massachusetts. The species is notable for its leaf-mining larvae, which feed on the mesophyll of elm leaves. Females oviposit directly on leaf surfaces, and the resulting larvae create characteristic blotch mines. Two subspecies are recognized: T. m. minutus and T. m. salicis.
Trichosirocalus
rosette weevils, crown weevils
A genus of small true weevils native to the Palearctic region. Several species have been widely introduced to North America, Australia, and New Zealand as biological control agents for invasive thistles. The genus was historically treated as containing a single species, T. horridus, but integrative taxonomic studies using molecular and morphological data have revealed multiple distinct species with different host associations.
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Trypeta flaveola is a tephritid fruit fly described by Coquillett in 1899. The species is widely distributed across North America. Its larvae are leaf miners that develop within the leaves of several genera in the Asteraceae family. The species is part of the diverse genus Trypeta, which contains numerous leaf-mining fruit flies.
Xenolechia ceanothiella
Xenolechia ceanothiella is a gelechiid moth native to California. The larvae are leaf miners that feed exclusively on Ceanothus divaricatus, creating distinctive mines that begin linear and expand into blotches. Pupation occurs in a silk cocoon spun between two leaves. The species is known from limited records and appears to have a restricted distribution within its host plant's range.
Zelleria haimbachi
pine needle sheathminer
Zelleria haimbachi, commonly known as the pine needle sheathminer, is a small moth in the family Yponomeutidae. The species is native to western North America, where it is associated with pine forests. Larvae are specialized miners that feed within the sheaths of pine needles, an unusual feeding strategy among conifer-feeding Lepidoptera. The species has been recorded as a localized pest, with documented outbreak events in British Columbia spanning several decades.
Zimmermannia
Zimmermannia is a genus of minute moths in the family Nepticulidae, established by Hering in 1940. The genus is distributed in the Western Palaearctic region and contains nine recognized species. Species are characterized by leaf-mining and bark-mining larval habits. The genus was historically treated as a subgenus of Ectoedemia but is now recognized as distinct.
Zimmermannia bosquella
American Chestnut Moth
Zimmermannia bosquella is a moth of the family Nepticulidae found in the eastern United States. It was formerly known as Nepticula bosquella and is now classified as conspecific with the American chestnut moth, which was once considered extinct. The species is associated with American chestnut.
Zimmermannia mesoloba
Zimmermannia mesoloba is a species of minute moth in the family Nepticulidae, originally described by Davis in 1978 as Ectoedemia mesoloba and later transferred to Zimmermannia. Nepticulidae are among the smallest Lepidoptera, commonly known as pygmy moths or midget moths. Species in this genus are leaf miners, with larvae feeding inside leaf tissue.
Zimmermannia obrutella
Zimmermannia obrutella is a species of microlepidopteran moth in the family Nepticulidae, commonly known as pygmy moths or midget moths. Originally described as Trifurcula obrutella by Zeller in 1873, it was later transferred to the genus Zimmermannia. Like other nepticulids, it is extremely small with adults typically measuring only a few millimeters in wingspan. The genus Zimmermannia contains leaf-mining species whose larvae feed internally within plant tissues.
Zimmermannia phleophaga
Phelophagan Chestnut Moth
Zimmermannia phleophaga is a species of moth in the family Nepticulidae, commonly known as the Phelophagan Chestnut Moth. It belongs to a genus of minute moths whose larvae are leaf miners. The species name "phleophaga" suggests an association with feeding on plant tissues, though specific host plant relationships require verification. The species was originally described by Busck in 1914 and later transferred to the genus Zimmermannia.