Bug FAQSassafras Caloptilia Moth
Caloptilia sassafrasella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Gracillariidae
Also called: Sassafras Caloptilia
Source: Wikipedia
The Sassafras Caloptilia Moth has a wingspan of about 11 mm. It is found in Canada and the United States. Its caterpillars feed on sassafras species and damage the leaves by mining and rolling them.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The adult’s wingspan measures roughly 11 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
The caterpillars mine the leaves of their host plant and later roll the leaf downward.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs in both Canada and the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its known range includes Canada and the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 19 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Florida, North Carolina.
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 plants do these moths affect?
Their larvae feed on sassafras species and damage the leaves by mining and rolling them.
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/Caloptilia_sassafrasella
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.