Coleophora leucochrysella

The chestnut casebearer moth (Coleophora leucochrysella) 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.^[1] 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.^[2] However, this species was rediscovered.^[3]

Chestnut Casebearer Moth
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Coleophoridae
Genus:	Coleophora
Species:	C. leucochrysella
Binomial name
Coleophora leucochrysella Clemens, 1863

Rediscovery

Larval case depicted by William T. M. Forbes (1920).

In June of 2020, larval cases were found in Northfield, Massachusetts by Charley Eiseman. When it was searched for elsewhere, it was also found, including larval cases and living moths.^[4] It is important to note that the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has not yet updated its conservation status from extinct.^[5]

References

1. "Species Profile for Chestnut casebearer moth".
2. Extinct species Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
3. Wagner, David L. "CASCADING CONSEQUENCES OF INTRODUCED AND INVASIVE SPECIES ON IMPERILED INVERTEBRATES" (PDF). USDA Interagency Research Forum. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
4. "Coleophora leucochrysella". Retrieved 15 August 2023.
5. World Conservation Monitoring Centre (1996). "Coleophora leucochrysella". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1996: e.T5111A11115175. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T5111A11115175.en. Retrieved 17 November 2021.

Sources

• World Conservation Monitoring Centre (1996). "Coleophora leucochrysella". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1996: e.T5111A11115175. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T5111A11115175.en.