About Bucculatrix ainsliella Murtfeldt, 1905
Bucculatrix ainsliella, commonly called the oak leaf skeletonizer or oak skeletonizer, is a moth species belonging to the family Bucculatricidae. This species was first formally described in 1905 by Mary Murtfeldt. Its distribution spans the northern United States, ranging south to North Carolina and Mississippi, and the southern parts of Canada, including British Columbia. It was discovered in the Netherlands and Belgium in 2011. Adults of Bucculatrix ainsliella have a wingspan of 7–8 mm. The flight period for adults occurs between February and August, with the exact timing varying by location. The larvae of this moth feed on Quercus species; they act as leaf miners early in development, and switch to external feeding on leaves in later stages.
