Antispila nysaefoliella

Antispila nysaefoliella (tupelo leafminer moth) is a species of moth of the family Heliozelidae. It is found in south-eastern North America.

Damage

Antispila nysaefoliella
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Heliozelidae
Genus:	Antispila
Species:	A. nysaefoliella
Binomial name
Antispila nysaefoliella Clemens, 1860[1]
Synonyms
Antispila nyssaefoliella

The wingspan is about 8 mm. Adults are on wing in spring.

The larvae feed on Nyssa sylvatica. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine is blotch-shaped and tends to expand radially and typically becomes more oblong-shaped at later instars. The larva feeds with its dorsal side facing the lower leaf surface.[2] Low (2008) observed that the larvae are able to make sounds using sclerotized structures on their dorsum and tail.[2] The last instars form an oval-shaped double-sided shield by encasing themselves with silk between the upper and lower mine layers. They then cut the shield and descend into the leaf litter for pupation.[3] Larvae can be found from late August to early September.