Status

The caterpillar of this undescribed moth species creates a blotch mine with a green patch near the base of aspen leaves, similar to the mines of Ectoedemia argyropeza on the same host plant. The barcode BIN of this undescribed species (BOLD:AAF6429) is closely related to that of E. canutus (BOLD:AAF6428), which feeds on the related host plants Balsam Poplar and Black Cottonwood (Eiseman, 2021). Mines and adults of this undescribed species should be looked for on its host plants in Garrett County, Maryland.

Description

These two species are members of the E. populella group, and the adults are distinguished by forewing pattern: dark with a whitish fringe and incomplete whitish postmedial fascia in E. argyropeza, and uniformly silvery gray in E. sp. aff. canutus (Eiseman, 2021: 1323-1324).

Relationships

Larval host plants include Quaking Aspen (Eiseman, 2021).