Rhododendron Leafhopper vs Casemaking Clothes Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Rhododendron Leafhopper Casemaking Clothes Moth
Scientific Name Graphocephala fennahi Tinea pellionella
Order Hemiptera Lepidoptera
Family Cicadellidae Tineidae
Size 8-9 mm 10-15 mm wingspan
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Fungus Feeders Omnivores
Regions North America, invasive in Europe Cosmopolitan
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Rhododendron Leafhopper

A brightly colored red and blue-green leafhopper that feeds on rhododendrons. It vectors a fungus that causes rhododendron bud blast disease.

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Did You Know?

Its vivid candy-stripe coloration makes it one of the most recognizable leafhoppers in gardens.

Casemaking Clothes Moth

A small silvery-brown moth whose larva constructs a portable silken case that it drags along as it feeds. It is a significant pest of furs, woolens, and museum specimens.

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Did You Know?

The larva never leaves its portable case, enlarging it as it grows by adding fibers from whatever material it is eating.