Bug FAQWalnut Caloptilia Moth
Caloptilia blandella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Gracillariidae
Also called: Walnut Caloptilia
Source: Wikipedia
The walnut caloptilia moth has a wingspan of about 9 mm. It occurs in parts of Canada and the United States, including Québec, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maine, Maryland, Texas and Kentucky. The caterpillars mine the leaves of black walnut and shagbark hickory, feeding on those trees.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The adult’s wingspan measures roughly 9 mm (0.35 in).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is known from Québec in Canada and from several U.S. states such as Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maine, Maryland, Texas and Kentucky.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on the leaves of Carya ovata (shagbark hickory) and Juglans nigra (black walnut), mining the foliage.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes eastern Canada and the eastern United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 36 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Ohio, Maryland, Texas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Oklahoma, New York.
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 trees do the larvae feed on?
They mine the leaves of black walnut and shagbark hickory.
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 insignisPhyllocnistis insignisDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caloptilia_blandella
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.