About Micrurapteryx salicifoliella (Chambers, 1872)
Micrurapteryx salicifoliella is a moth species that belongs to the family Gracillariidae. This species is confirmed to be present in Canada, specifically in the regions of Québec, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the Northwest Territories, as well as in the United States, including the states of Missouri, Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota, Alaska, Vermont, Kentucky, Michigan, Texas, and California. The wingspan of adult Micrurapteryx salicifoliella measures approximately 9 mm. In Illinois, adult moths are active and on wing from mid to late July, and there may be a second generation that emerges in October. In California, adults can be found between April and October, while in Texas adults are active in November. The larvae of this moth feed on plants of the genus Populus, which includes Populus balsamifera, Populus tremuloides, and Populus grandidentata, and plants of the genus Salix, which includes Salix alba, Salix arbusculoides, Salix babylonica, Salix bebbiana, Salix brachycarpa, Salix exigua, Salix glauca, Salix integra, Salix interior, Salix lasiandra, Salix longifolia, Salix monticola, Salix novae-angliae, Salix planifolia, and Salix scouleriana. Larvae create mines inside the leaves of their host plants to feed.
