Bug FAQDogwood Caloptilia Moth
Caloptilia belfragella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Gracillariidae
Source: Wikipedia
The Dogwood Caloptilia Moth is found in Quebec and several U.S. states such as Texas, Maine, Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois and Michigan. Its larvae mine the leaves of plants like dogwoods, sumac and blueberries.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on Rhus typhina, various Cornus species and Vaccinium species by mining their leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 28 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Ohio, Texas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Mississippi, New York.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants do Dogwood Caloptilia Moth larvae feed on?
They mine the leaves of sumac (Rhus typhina), dogwoods (Cornus species) and blueberries (Vaccinium species).
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_belfragella
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.