Bug FAQElm Leafminer
Cameraria ulmella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Gracillariidae
Source: Wikipedia
The adult moth is very small, with a wingspan of about 6.5 to 7 mm. The caterpillars eat the leaves of several oak species and of elm trees.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults have a wingspan ranging from 6.5 to 7 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on the leaves of white oak, scrub oak, red oak, black oak and on various elm species.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The summer generation pupates in a flat silken cocoon, while the overwintering generation forms a pale-yellow pupa in silk-lined chambers.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its known range includes parts of eastern Canada and the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 27 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, Louisiana, Maryland.
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 trees does the elm leafminer feed on?
Its caterpillars eat the leaves of several oak species and of elm trees.
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/Cameraria_ulmella
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.