Bug FAQMexican Leaf-roller
Amorbia emigratella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Tortricidae
Also called: Mexican leafroller
Source: Wikipedia
Male forewings are about 8 to 11 mm long and females about 11.5 to 12 mm. The species can produce several generations in a single year. Caterpillars eat a wide range of plants such as papaya, citrus, beans, potatoes, cacao and corn, so they can damage gardens and agricultural crops.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
It can have several generations annually.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Male forewings measure 8 to 11 mm, while females are 11.5 to 12 mm long.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It has been recorded on the Hawaiian islands of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui and Hawaii.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on many plants, including papaya, citrus, beans, potatoes, cacao, corn and numerous other species.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The species goes through several generations each year. The pupal stage lasts roughly ten days.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 2 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Hawaii, Texas.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How big are Mexican leaf-roller moths?
Males have forewings about 8 to 11 mm long and females about 11.5 to 12 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
How many generations does it produce each year?
It can have multiple generations annually.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants do the larvae feed on?
The caterpillars eat a wide variety of plants such as papaya, citrus, beans, potatoes, cacao and corn, among many others.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Tortricidae)
Oblique-banded Leafroller MothChoristoneura rosaceanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Garden TortrixClepsis peritanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Common MarbleSyricoris lacunanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Red-banded Leafroller MothArgyrotaenia velutinanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Light Brown Apple MothEpiphyas postvittanaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Aster and Reddish Eucosma Moths and AlliesEucosma parmatanaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amorbia_emigratella
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-29 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-29.