Bug FAQPhyllocnistis liquidambarisella
Phyllocnistis liquidambarisella · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Gracillariidae
The larva makes a long, winding, linear mine on the upper side of sweetgum leaves and the mine lacks a distinct central line of frass. It feeds only on the leaves of Liquidambar styraciflua (sweetgum).
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The mine appears as a long, winding, linear track on the leaf's upper surface and is rather indistinct, without a clear central line of frass.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
The larvae mine the leaves of their host plant.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Its host plant is the sweetgum tree, Liquidambar styraciflua.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is known from several U.S. states, including New York, Maryland, Kentucky, Georgia, Texas, and Florida.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 23 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, New Jersey, South Carolina, Florida, Louisiana.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How can I recognize the leaf mines of Phyllocnistis liquidambarisella?
Look for a long, winding, linear mine on the upper side of sweetgum leaves that lacks a distinct central line of frass.
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/Phyllocnistis_liquidambarisella
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.