Three-lined leafroller moth

Three-lined leafroller moth is a small archip leafroller moth. It occurs in the eastern United States, the Pacific Northwest, and southern Canada. It is common in the United States east of the Mississippi River, mostly absent in the west. It is uncommon in Minnesota, where it is at the western extent of its southern range. Larvae feed on a wide variety of deciduous woody plants, including alder, apple, ash, basswood, cherry, poplar, birch, elm, maple, oak, and willow. Adults are active from June through August.

The adult is ⅜″ to ½″ (10 to 12 mm) long and has a wingspan of ⅝″ to 1″ (16 to 26 mm). The forewings are pale tan or light brown with a darker brown basal area and median band. There is also a dark, rounded patch on the outer margin near the wing tip, though this is indistinct on some individuals. The basal, median, and upper postmedial lines are pale and distinct. The hindwing is white and is often shaded gray on the lower half.

The larva (caterpillar) is entirely green with no markings. It is covered with many long, hair-like outgrowths (setae). Each seta emerges from a moderately large, hardened plate (pinacula).

Total length: ⅜″ to ½″ (10 to 12 mm)

Wingspan: ⅝″ to 1″ (16 to 26 mm)

Deciduous woody plants

One generation per year: June through August

A wide variety of deciduous woody plants, including alder, apple, ash, basswood, cherry, poplar, birch, elm, maple, oak, and willow.