Aspen serpentine leafminer moth
Phyllocnistis populiella
The aspen serpentine leafminer moth is a tiny moth from the far north of America. Its caterpillar is so small that it lives inside a leaf. It eats its way through the leaf and leaves a winding, snake-like trail behind.
Lives in
Northern North America, from Alaska and Alberta to Ontario and Massachusetts
Can it hurt you?
Harmless
Harmless. It does not bite or sting.
What does it eat?
Its caterpillars eat the inside of aspen and balsam poplar leaves.
How fast is it?
A person walking about 5 km/h (3.1 mph)
A kid running fast about 13 km/h (8.1 mph)
Aspen serpentine leafminer moth about 14 km/h (8.7 mph)
A grown-up on a bike about 25 km/h (16 mph)
cool stuff
Fun facts
1
It lives as far north as Alaska.
2
Its caterpillars feed on quaking aspen and balsam poplar trees.
3
Serpentine means twisting like a snake, just like the tunnels its caterpillar makes in leaves.
you asked
Most asked questions about Aspen serpentine leafminer moth
?What are the wiggly lines on aspen leaves?
They can be the tunnels of this tiny caterpillar, which eats its way through the inside of the leaf.
?Is the aspen leafminer moth dangerous?
No. It is a harmless tiny moth.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Phyllocnistis populiella
- Group
- Moths
- Family
- Gracillariidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Lepidoptera > Gracillariidae
- Lives on
- North America
- Also known as
- Common aspen leaf miner, Aspen serpentine leafminer
Where the facts come from
- Phyllocnistis populiella (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by USDA Forest Service - Ogden Archive. CC BY 3.0 us, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.
If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
Bug Wiki honey jar For grown-ups: Bug Wiki is free, with no ads and no tracking. A small tip helps keep it online.Leave a tip
Atlas moth
Luna moth
Hummingbird hawk-moth
Domestic silk moth
Isabella tiger moth
Polyphemus moth
Xami hairstreak
Hoary comma
Western treehole mosquito
Propertius duskywing
Sanderson's bumble bee
Deceptive carpenter ant