Arborvitae Leafminer
Argyresthia thuiella
This record describes Argyresthia thuiella (species). Recorded family: Argyresthiidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
The arborvitae leafminer, thuja mining moth or American thuja shoot moth (Argyresthia thuiella) is a moth of the Yponomeutidae family. It is found in southeastern Canada and the northeastern United States to North Carolina, west to Missouri, north to Manitoba. There is also an isolated population in British Columbia. The species is also present in Europe, where it has been introduced on three occasions: to the Netherlands in 1971, Germany in 1975 and Austria in 1976.
Wikipedia reference for Argyresthia thuiella: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argyresthia thuiella.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Yponomeutoidea
- Family
- Argyresthiidae (Shiny Headstand Moths)
- Subfamily
- Argyresthiinae
- Genus
- Argyresthia (Argents)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Argyresthia thuiella. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
