The Birch Skeletonizer Moth is a tiny moth whose tiny, pale caterpillars mine and then skeletonize the upper surfaces of birch leaves in dense colonies. During irruption years, infestations can give birch forests a silvery, burned appearance from a distance. The distinctive white, ribbed cocoons attached to leaves and bark are often more noticed than the tiny adults.
Habitat
Birch forests of the Northeast and boreal regions
Diet
Larvae: birch leaf tissue. Adults: little or no feeding
How common
Common
Recent Birch Skeletonizer Moth sightings near you
Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.
Spot a Birch Skeletonizer Moth? Identify it instantly.
Point Huck at any plant or animal and get an instant ID, rarity, and field notes — building your personal nature collection as you go.
Get Huck — free