Arborvitae Leafminer (Argyresthia thuiella)

Taxonomy

Domain	Eukarya
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Arthropoda
Subphylum	Hexapoda
Class	Insecta
Subclass	Pterygota
Infraclass	Neoptera
Superorder	Holometabola
Order	Lepidoptera
Superfamily	Yponomeutoidea
Family	Yponomeutidae
Subfamily	Argyresthiinae
Genus	Argyresthia

Scientific Name

Argyresthia thuiella

Common Name

arborvitae leafminer

Maier, C.T.; Lemmon, C.R.; Fengler, J.M.; Schweitzer, D.F.; Reardon, R.C.; Caterpillars on the Foliage of Conifers in the Northeastern United States. Morgantown, WV. USDA Forest Service. Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. FHTET-2004-01. March 2004. 151 p.

Description

Greenish body with dark brown head, prothoracic shield, and anal plate. Up to 7 mm.

Food

Northern white-cedar.

Life Cycle

One generation. Nearly full-grown caterpillar overwinters in mined foliage. Mature caterpillar present from April to June.

Comments

The caterpillar forms its pupa within its foliar mine, usually near the base. The green pupa is curved at the end of the abdomen. See the comments for the Canadian arborvitae leafminer, Argyresthia canadensis. The arborvitae leafminer sometimes is a serious pest of planted northern white-cedars (arborvitae). The mined foliage typically turns brown (see below).

Gallery