Bug FAQGold-striped Leaftier Moth
Machimia tentoriferella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Peleopodidae
Also called: Gold-striped Leaftier
Source: Wikipedia
The gold-striped leaftier moth is a small moth with a wingspan of about 20 to 26 mm. Its caterpillars eat leaves of many hardwoods such as ash, birch, oak, maple and others, which can harm trees in yards and forests. Adults are on the wing in early fall, from September to October, and are found across much of eastern North America.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
It belongs to the moth family Depressariidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 20 to 26 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are active in September and October, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period is in early fall, from September to October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range covers much of eastern Canada and the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 33 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia.
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
Where is this moth found?
It occurs across eastern Canada and the United States, from Nova Scotia to North Carolina and west to Mississippi and Iowa.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Peleopodidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machimia_tentoriferella
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.