Bug FAQLeucanthiza dircella
Leucanthiza dircella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Gracillariidae
Leucanthiza dircella is a moth in the Gracillariidae family that lives in parts of Canada and the United States. Its larvae mine the leaves of the swamp dogwood (Dirca palustris) and produce one generation each year. Various parasitic wasps, such as Pholetesor and Chrysocharis species, commonly attack this moth.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Leucanthiza dircella belongs to the moth family Gracillariidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
In northern Michigan the species completes one generation per year. It is the only leaf-miner recorded on its host plant.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its known range covers parts of eastern Canada and the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Parasitic wasps from genera such as Pholetesor, Chrysocharis, Closterocerus, Pnigalio and Sympiesis often parasitize this moth.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 14 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Wisconsin, Vermont, Minnesota, Ohio, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania.
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 plant do the larvae of Leucanthiza dircella feed on?
The larvae mine the leaves of Dirca palustris, the swamp dogwood.
Source: Wikipedia
How many generations does Leucanthiza dircella produce each year?
In northern Michigan it produces one generation per year.
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/Leucanthiza_dircella
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.