Bug FAQMaple Caloptilia Moth
Caloptilia bimaculatella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Gracillariidae
Source: Wikipedia
Caloptilia bimaculatella is a tiny moth with a wingspan of about 9 to 10 mm. Its caterpillars feed on red maple leaves, mining them and harming the tree.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
It belongs to the Gracillariidae family of moths.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The adult’s wingspan measures roughly 9 to 10 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae mine the leaves of red maple (Acer rubrum).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes eastern Canada and the eastern United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 30 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, Ohio, Connecticut, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey.
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 do the larvae of Caloptilia bimaculatella eat?
They feed on red maple leaves, mining them as they grow.
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 insignisPhyllocnistis insignisDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caloptilia_bimaculatella
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.