Bug FAQPhyllonorycter basistrigella
Phyllonorycter basistrigella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Gracillariidae
The adult moth has a wingspan of about eight millimetres. Its caterpillars mine the undersides of oak leaves, creating rectangular, tent-shaped mines.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan measures roughly eight millimetres.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It has been recorded in many U.S. states and in Québec, Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on a variety of oak species such as white oak, bur oak, and red oak.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Caterpillars create tentiform mines on the underside of oak leaves, between two veins, that stay flat and rectangular. When ready to pupate, the larva lines the mine edges with frass to form an oval, ring-like cocoon wall, leaving the pupa visible through the transparent cuticle.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its known range includes Québec and numerous states across the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 21 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Minnesota, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Michigan, Ohio, Colorado, Virginia, New York.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What oak trees do the larvae feed on?
They eat leaves of many oak species, including Quercus alba, Q. bicolor, Q. castanea, Q. coccinea, Q. kelloggii, Q. macrocarpa, Q. prinoides, Q. prinus, Q. rubra, Q. stellata, Q. tinctoria and Q. velutina.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I recognize the leaf mines?
Look for flat, rectangular mines on the underside of oak leaves, positioned between two veins and without any wrinkling.
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/Phyllonorycter_basistrigella
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.