Bug FAQApple Skeletonizer Moth
Bucculatrix pomifoliella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Bucculatricidae
Also called: Apple Skeletonizer
Source: Wikipedia
Adults have a wingspan of about 7 mm. They are found across North America. Larvae feed on leaves of Rosaceae plants such as apple, black cherry, serviceberry and ninebark, mining the foliage.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan measures roughly 7 to 7.5 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae mine the leaves of Rosaceae trees and shrubs, including black cherry, serviceberry, ninebark and apple species.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from April through September and can produce up to two generations each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active from April to September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 20 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Maryland, North Carolina, Maine, New York, Michigan, New Jersey, Montana, 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
When are adult Apple Skeletonizer Moths active?
Adults are on the wing from April through September.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants do the larvae feed on?
The larvae mine the leaves of Rosaceae plants such as black cherry, serviceberry, ninebark and apple.
Source: Wikipedia
How many generations do they have each year?
There can be up to two generations per year.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Bucculatricidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucculatrix_pomifoliella
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.