Aspilanta hydrangaeella

Aspilanta hydrangaeella is a species of moth in the family Heliozelidae. It is found in the United States. The larvae are leaf miners that feed on hydrangea plants.^[1][2][3]

Aspilanta hydrangaeella
Adult female A. hydrangaeella
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Heliozelidae
Genus:	Aspilanta
Species:	A. hydrangaeella
Binomial name
Aspilanta hydrangaeella (Chambers, 1874)
Synonyms[1]
Antispila hydrangaeella Chambers, 1874 Antispila hydrangiaeella Chambers, 1878

Distribution

Aspilanta hydrangaeella is found in the eastern United States, including Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, and Tennessee.^[1][2]

Larvae, leaf mines, and pupal cases of A. hydrangaeella on H. arborescens.

Description

Adult A. hydrangaeella have a wingspan of 5.0–5.8 mm (0.20–0.23 in), with each forewing measuring 2.2–2.8 mm (0.087–0.110 in) in length.^[1] Externally, adult A. hydrangaeella are similar to other moths in the genus Aspilanta, but can be differentiated by their antennae – the antennae of A. hydrangaeella have noticeable white tips.^[2][3]

The larvae are colorless or whitish, except for their green gut contents, with a dark brown head and prothorax. Darker spots may be visible on some body segments.^[1] Their primary host plant is smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens), though larvae can also be found less frequently on snowy hydrangea (Hydrangea radiata).^[3]

The leaf mine begins with a long, sometimes contorted linear portion that eventually widens into an elongate blotch or wide gallery. The frass ranges from green to black in color and is distributed in a narrow line at the start of the mine but forms a central smear in the larger, later portion of the mine. When mature and ready to pupate, the larvae cut out a 3.5–4.5 mm (0.14–0.18 in) long case from their host leaf, leaving an elliptic hole.^[1]