Bug FAQAmerican Chestnut Moth
Zimmermannia bosquella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Nepticulidae
The American chestnut moth belongs to the family Nepticulidae and has a wingspan of about 9 to 10 mm. It lives in Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky, where its larvae feed on pin oak (Quercus palustris). Larvae finish growing in October-early November and the adults emerge in May-June of the next year.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Zimmermannia bosquella is a moth in the family Nepticulidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan measures roughly 9 to 10 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found in the U.S. states of Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on the leaves of pin oak (Quercus palustris).
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Larvae become full-grown in October and early November.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults appear in May and June.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It is now considered the same species as the American chestnut moth, which was once thought extinct.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 25 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Florida, Arkansas, Virginia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, North Carolina.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When can I see the adult American chestnut moth?
Adults are on the wing in May and June.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Nepticulidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimmermannia_bosquella
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-27 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-27.