Upper Midwest Stem Insect Survey

Local feeder (Lepidoptera: Cosmopterigidae) in stems of Amorpha

Record Details

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Record no.:0047, 0705
Feeding guild:Local feeder in stem
Taxonomy:Lepidoptera: Cosmopterigidae: Walshia amorphella
Stages observed:trace
Hosts in Amorpha:A. canescens (leadplant); A. fruticosa (indigo bush)
  • Forms hard, spindle-shaped swellings on twigs
  • The examples I photographed in 2016 and 2018 were about 25-35 mm in length, located on the upper portions of the twigs, within ~12 cm of the twig tips
  • The galls are particularly conspicuous in winter, after leaves have fallen
  • More information: Eiseman et al. (2024)

References

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Page created: February 10, 2026. Last update: none