Bug FAQArborvitae Leafminer
Argyresthia thuiella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Argyresthiidae
Source: Wikipedia
The adult moth has a wingspan of about 8 mm. Larvae feed on the leaves of eastern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) and related arborvitae and false-cypress species, causing damage to those trees.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan is about 8 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
In Maine the species is one of several leaf-miner moths that damage eastern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
An isolated population occurs in British Columbia.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from May to July, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It has also been introduced to Europe, first recorded in the Netherlands (1971), Germany (1975) and Austria (1976).
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
In Maine it can be confused with other arborvitae leaf-miner moths such as Argyresthia aureoargentella, Argyresthia canadensis, and Coleotechnites thujaella.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 15 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Colorado, Washington.
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 the adults active?
Adults fly from May through July, depending on where they live.
Source: Wikipedia
What trees does it damage?
The larvae feed on and damage eastern white cedar and other arborvitae and false-cypress species.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Argyresthiidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argyresthia_thuiella
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.