Bug FAQSnowy-shouldered Acleris Moth
Acleris nivisellana · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Tortricidae
Also called: Snowy-shouldered Acleris
The snowy-shouldered acleris moth has a wingspan of about 15 to 17 mm. It lives across southern Canada and the northern United States, reaching south to Maryland and Virginia in the east and to California in the west. Adults are on the wing from early spring through late fall, likely producing two generations each year.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Acleris nivisellana belongs to the tortricid moth family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan measures between 15 and 17 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found in North America, from southern Canada down through the northern United States.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on plants such as hawthorn, apple, ninebark, pin cherry, and various serviceberry species.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults have been recorded flying from March through November, probably in two yearly generations.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
You can see adults active from early spring to late fall.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes southern Canada, the northern United States, and extends southward to Maryland, Virginia, and California.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 33 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Vermont, Michigan, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Minnesota, Connecticut.
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 adult snowy-shouldered acleris moths active?
Adults are on the wing from March to November, likely in two generations per year.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants do the larvae eat?
The larvae feed on hawthorn, apple (including cultivated varieties), ninebark, pin cherry, and serviceberry species.
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/Acleris_nivisellana
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.