Bug FAQCaloptilia hypericella
Caloptilia hypericella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Gracillariidae
The adult moth has a wingspan of about 8 mm. It is found in eastern Canada and the eastern United States, including Québec, Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, West Virginia and Cincinnati. Its larvae mine the leaves of Hypericum species such as H. cistifolium, H. punctatum and H. sphaerocarpum.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan measures roughly 8 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs in parts of Canada and the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on the leaves of Hypericum cistifolium, Hypericum punctatum and Hypericum sphaerocarpum, creating leaf mines.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its known range includes Québec in Canada and several states in the U.S. such as Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, West Virginia and the city of Cincinnati.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 23 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, Ohio, North Carolina, New York, Maryland, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois.
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
What plants do the larvae feed on?
The larvae mine the leaves of Hypericum cistifolium, Hypericum punctatum and Hypericum sphaerocarpum.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is this moth found?
It is known from Québec in Canada and from several U.S. locations including Cincinnati, Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan and West Virginia.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Gracillariidae)
Horse-chestnut LeafminerCameraria ohridellaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Aspen Serpentine Leafminer MothPhyllocnistis populiellaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Phyllocnistis vitegenella complexPhyllocnistis vitegenellaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Locust Digitate Leafminer MothParectopa robiniellaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Poison Ivy Leaf-miner MothCameraria guttifinitella
Phyllocnistis insignisDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caloptilia_hypericella
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-28 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-28.