About Aspilanta hydrangaeella (Chambers, 1874) Nieukerken & Eiseman, 2020
Aspilanta hydrangaeella, a species of moth in the genus Aspilanta, has the following characteristics. Adult individuals have a wingspan ranging from 5.0 to 5.8 mm (0.20–0.23 in), with each forewing measuring 2.2 to 2.8 mm (0.087–0.110 in) in length. Externally, adult Aspilanta hydrangaeella are similar to other species in the genus Aspilanta, but they can be told apart by their antennae, which have distinct noticeable white tips. Larvae of this species are colorless or whitish overall, with green visible from their gut contents, and they have a dark brown head and prothorax. Darker spots may appear on some of their body segments. Their main host plant is smooth hydrangea, Hydrangea arborescens. Larvae can also be found less commonly on snowy hydrangea, Hydrangea radiata. The leaf mine created by this species starts as a long, sometimes contorted linear section, which eventually widens into an elongate blotch or wide gallery. The frass produced by the larvae ranges in color from green to black. At the start of the mine, frass is arranged in a narrow line, while in the larger later portion of the mine, it forms a central smear. When larvae are fully mature and ready to pupate, they cut out a 3.5–4.5 mm (0.14–0.18 in) long case from their host leaf, leaving behind an elliptic hole. Aspilanta hydrangaeella is distributed in the eastern United States; recorded locations include Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, and Tennessee.
