Bug FAQMaple Leafcutter Moth
Paraclemensia acerifoliella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Incurvariidae
Also called: Maple Leafcutter
The maple leafcutter moth has a wingspan of about 9 to 12 mm. Adults fly from April through June, producing one generation each year. Its larvae eat the leaves of maple trees and occasionally beech, oak, birch, and huckleberry.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Adults are on the wing from April to June, with one generation per year.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 9 to 12 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on maple leaves and sometimes on beech, oak, birch, and huckleberry species.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are active from April through June, completing one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Flight period is April to June.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Native to southeastern Canada and the northeastern United States, extending south to the Appalachian tip in western North Carolina and perhaps north-western Georgia.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 25 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Maine, West Virginia.
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
When are maple leafcutter moths active?
Adults fly from April to June, producing a single generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the larvae eat?
They feed on the leaves of maple trees and may also consume beech, oak, birch, and huckleberry leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find this moth?
It occurs in southeastern Canada, the northeastern United States, and down the Appalachians to western North Carolina, possibly reaching north-western Georgia.
Source: Wikipedia
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraclemensia_acerifoliella
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.