Hydrangea Leaftier

Participants in the OGIA/OSU Extension Diagnostic Walkabout held this past Monday in Cincinnati Parks’ T. M. Berry International Friendship Park observed the handiwork of our native Hydrangea Leaftier Moth caterpillars. The moth’s caterpillars appear to feed exclusively on our native Smooth Hydrangea, as well as varieties and cultivars.

Hydrangea Leaftier Moth caterpillars develop inside strange-looking purse-like leaf structures on wild and cultivated hydrangeas. The beautiful, tiny native moths are referred to as “microlepidoptera,” a non-taxonomic classification based on the size of the adult moths.

Hydrangea Leaftier Moth (Olethreutes ferriferana, family Tortricidae) caterpillars develop inside oddball “leaf-purse” structures on wild and cultivated hydrangeas.  The beautiful native moths are grouped into the non-taxonomic category “microlepidoptera” owing to their small size.

The Hydrangea Leaftier Moth (Olethreutes ferriferana, family Tortricidae) is so named because the caterpillars tie together developing leaves on wild and cultivated hydrangeas to produce oddball “leaf-purse” structures. The caterpillars are completing their development in southwest Ohio but their handiwork remains.

The Hydrangea Leaftier Moth (Olethreutes ferriferana, family Tortricidae) is so-named because the caterpillars tie together developing leaves on wild and cultivated hydrangeas to produce oddball “leaf-purse” structures. The caterpillars have completed their development in southwest Ohio but their handiwork remains.

The oddball "leaf-purse" handiwork hydrangea leaftier moth (Olethreutes ferriferana, family Tortricidae) caterpillars are appearing on wild and cultivated hydrangeas. While these leaf structures may look very odd, the damage appears to cause little harm to the overall health of affected plants.

Fern-balls aren't the only oddball leaf structures appearing in Ohio landscapes and forests. The odd looking "leaf-purse" handiwork of caterpillars of the hydrangea leaftier moth (Family Tortricidae; Olethreutes ferriferana) may be found on wild and cultivated hydrangeas.