Bug FAQAntispila oinophylla
Antispila oinophylla · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Heliozelidae
Source: Wikipedia
Adults are tiny moths with a wingspan of about 5 mm and forewings just over 2 mm long. The species is native to North America but has been introduced to northern Italy, where it attacks vineyard grapes.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
You cannot tell this moth apart from Aspilanta ampelopsifoliella by looking at it; only genital examination works.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 4.8 to 6.2 mm, and each forewing measures 2.3 to 2.8 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
After being unintentionally brought to Italy before 2006, it became a vineyard pest.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
In its original range it lives in parts of Canada and many U.S. states, and it now occurs in northern Italy.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae mine the leaves of several Vitaceae species, including cultivated grapevines.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
When ready to pupate, the larva cuts a 3.2 to 4 mm case from the leaf, leaving an elliptical hole.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It originates from North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It looks identical to Aspilanta ampelopsifoliella externally; genitalia examination is required to separate them.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 14 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Vermont, Georgia, Massachusetts, New York, Tennessee, Connecticut, Minnesota, Wisconsin.
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
How can I tell Antispila oinophylla apart from similar moths?
Only by dissecting and comparing the genital structures, as they look the same externally.
Source: Wikipedia
Why is Antispila oinophylla a problem for vineyards?
Its leaf-mining larvae feed on grapevine leaves, reducing plant health and yield.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Heliozelidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspilanta_oinophylla
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-28 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-28.