Bug FAQAspen Carpenterworm
Acossus populi · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Cossidae
The Aspen carpenterworm has a wingspan of about 50 to 68 mm. It lives in parts of the United States such as Nevada, Colorado, California and the northern Rocky Mountains, and in Canada’s Ontario and British Columbia. Its larvae feed on aspen trees, especially trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides).
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 50 to 68 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Found in Nevada, Colorado, California and the northern Rocky Mountains of the United States. Also occurs in Ontario and British Columbia in Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae eat leaves of Populus species, mainly trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Native to the United States and Canada, specifically the regions listed for its habitat.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 12 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Montana, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Minnesota, Colorado.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Same family (Cossidae)
Goat MothCossus cossusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Wood Leopard MothZeuzera pyrinaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Carpenterworm MothPrionoxystus robiniaeCan damage your home
Arbela Carpenterworm MothGivira arbeloides
Anna Carpenterworm MothGivira anna
Little Carpenterworm MothPrionoxystus macmurtreiCan damage your homeSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acossus_populi
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.