Arborvitae Leafminer

Argyresthia thuiella

''Argyresthia thuiella'', the arborvitae leafminer, thuja mining moth or American thuja shoot moth, is a moth of the family Yponomeutidae. It is found in southeastern Canada and the northeastern United States to North Carolina, west to Missouri, north to Manitoba.
Arborvitae Leafminer - Argyresthia thuiella Host: Thuja occidentalis (northern white cedar) Arborvitae Leafminer,Argyresthia,Argyresthia thuiella,Geotagged,United States,Winter,leaf mine,leafmine,leafminer,moth,signs of wildlife

Appearance

The wingspan is about 8 mm. Adults are on wing from May to July depending on the location.
Arborvitae Leafminer - Argyresthia thuiella The pale section is a mine made by the larvae of Argyresthia thuiella. Host: Thuja occidentalis (northern white cedar) Argyresthia,Argyresthia thuiella,Geotagged,Spring,Thuja occidentalis,United States,arborvitae leafminer,leafminer,needleminer,thuja

Distribution

There is also an isolated population in British Columbia. The species is also present in Europe, where it has been introduced on three occasions: to the Netherlands in 1971, Germany in 1975 and Austria in 1976.

Food

The larvae feed on the leaves of ''Thuja occidentalis'' as well as other arborvitae and false cypress species. Trees infested for several consecutive years can be killed, but usually an infested tree is able to renew foliage later during the growth season.

References:

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Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderLepidoptera
FamilyArgyresthiidae
GenusArgyresthia
SpeciesA. thuiella
Photographed in
United States of America