Caloptilia fraxinella

Description

The ash leaf cone roller moth (Caloptilia fraxinella) is a moth of the family Gracillariidae. It is known from Canada (Québec, Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan) and the United States (Michigan, Vermont, Ohio, Connecticut, New York and Maine). It is considered a significant pest of horticultural ash. The larvae feed on Fraxinus species (including Fraxinus americana, Fraxinus mandshurica, Fraxinus nigra and Fraxinus pennsylvanica ) and Ligustrum species. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The larvae form a typical leaf cone. The species is atypical for the genus Caloptilia in that the larva pupates within the leaf cone, in a suspended silken cocoon. The species overwinters as an adult.