Bug FAQAntispila isabella
Antispila isabella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Heliozelidae
Source: Wikipedia
The leaf mine appears as a large blotch with a round reddish patch of frass near the start and scattered black frass throughout. Larvae eat the leaves of several grape species, including Vitis aestivalis, V. labrusca, and V. riparia.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Mines are large blotches with a roundish reddish frass patch near the beginning and dispersed black frass inside.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on the leaves of Vitis aestivalis, Vitis labrusca and Vitis riparia.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Research indicates that the name Antispila isabella actually covers a complex of several closely related species.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Studies suggest that what is called Antispila isabella may consist of multiple similar species, making identification tricky.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 12 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Massachusetts, Maryland, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New York, Vermont.
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
What plants do the larvae feed on?
The larvae eat the leaves of grape vines such as Vitis aestivalis, V. labrusca and V. riparia.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I recognize the leaf mines?
Look for a large blotch mine with a round reddish patch of frass near the start and scattered black frass throughout.
Source: Wikipedia
Is Antispila isabella a single species?
Research shows the name actually refers to a complex of several closely related species.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Heliozelidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antispila_isabella
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-29 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-29.