Schlaeger’s fruitworm moth

1101

Common

April to August

White oak and other oaks

Schlaeger’s fruitworm moth is a small moth but a large grass miner moth. It is common in the United States east of the Great Plains and in adjacent Canadian provinces. Adults resemble a bird dropping. They are 7 ⁄16″ to ⅝″ (11 to 15 mm) long and have a wingspan of 13 ⁄16″ to 11 ⁄16″ (21 to 27 mm).

The finger-like sensory organs (labial palps) attached to the mouth are very long. They curve upward in front of the head well beyond the middle of the face. On the thorax there is an erect tuft of bluish-black scales. The forewings are white, long, narrow, and more or less pointed at the tip. There are pale gray bands in the basal area, the median area, and the subterminal area. The hindwing is much narrower than the forewing.

Leaves of mostly white oak, but also other oaks

Adults are active at night and will visit lights.

Larvae eat only the middle leaf tissues, leaving intact the waxy upper and lower outer layers (cuticles). They create pale tunnels as they eat. The placement and shape of the tunnels, and the presence of frass, are identifying features of leaf miners. Many leaf miner species are plant specialists, and can be identified simply by noting the species of the host plant.

Sources: 21, 24, 27, 29, 30, 75.

Location: Woodbury, Minnesota