Chestnut Casebearer Moth
Coleophora leucochrysella
- Extinct
- Card rarity: Extinct
- Insects
The chestnut casebearer moth is a species of moth in the family Coleophoridae. It is endemic to the United States, where it is found in Indiana, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. It is a highly specialized species, its larvae feed specifically on the leaves of the American Chestnut. It was thought the species became extinct when many American chestnut trees died due to an infection of the fungus Cryphonectria parasitica, which was accidentally introduced from Asia around 1900. However, this species was rediscovered.
Classification
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera
- Family
- Coleophoridae
- Genus
- Coleophora