Bug FAQBoxelder Leafworm Moth
Chionodes obscurusella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Gelechiidae
The moth has a wingspan of about 12 mm. Its forewings are a dull ochreous-brown color with black spots, a small black dot near the wing base, a short black dash on the costa, and a vague patch of blackish scales in the middle of the wing. It occurs across North America from Nova Scotia to Manitoba and south to North Carolina and Oklahoma. The larvae tie together leaves of boxelder (Acer negundo) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum) to feed.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan measures roughly 12 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found in North America, recorded from Nova Scotia to Manitoba and south to North Carolina and Oklahoma.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae are leaf-tiers on boxelder (Acer negundo) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum).
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The larvae tie together leaves of Acer negundo and Acer saccharum while feeding.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes North America, from eastern Canada through the central United States down to the southern states mentioned.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 24 of 51 states and DC. Most records: North Carolina, New York, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Michigan, South Carolina, Missouri, Tennessee.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants do the larvae feed on?
The larvae tie together and eat the leaves of boxelder and sugar maple trees.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is this moth found?
It occurs across North America from Nova Scotia to Manitoba and south to North Carolina and Oklahoma.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Gelechiidae)
Angoumois Grain MothSitotroga cerealellaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Hairy, Toothed, and Shining Dichomeris Moths and AlliesDichomeris setosella
Black-smudged Chionodes Moth and AlliesChionodes occidentella
Black-smudged Chionodes MothChionodes mediofuscella
Inverse and Kimball's Dichomeris MothsDichomeris inversella
Pink-washed Aristotelia MothAristotelia roseosuffusellaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chionodes_obscurusella
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.