Bug FAQBlack-lined Acleris
Acleris nigrolinea · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Tortricidae
The black-lined acleris is a moth in the Tortricidae family with a wingspan of about 22 to 27 mm. Its larvae feed on a variety of trees and shrubs, including birch, poplar, fir, pine and willow species.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Acleris nigrolinea belongs to the moth family Tortricidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The adult’s wingspan ranges from 22 to 27 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on leaves of birch (Betula), poplar (Populus), fir (Abies), pine (Pinus) and willow (Salix) among others.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults have been observed on the wing for most of the year, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period can be nearly year-round in suitable climates.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range covers much of North America, including many Canadian provinces and several U.S. states.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 22 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, New York, Wisconsin, Connecticut, North Carolina, Tennessee, Minnesota, Pennsylvania.
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
Same family (Tortricidae)
Oblique-banded Leafroller MothChoristoneura rosaceanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Garden TortrixClepsis peritanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Common MarbleSyricoris lacunanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Red-banded Leafroller MothArgyrotaenia velutinanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Light Brown Apple MothEpiphyas postvittanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Aster and Reddish Eucosma Moths and AlliesEucosma parmatanaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acleris_nigrolinea
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.