Pest profile

Apple-and-Thorn Skeletonizer

Choreutis pariana · Lepidoptera: Choreutidae[2]

Apple-and-thorn skeletonizer caterpillars skeletonize and roll the leaves of apple and related trees, turning them brown and papery.[1]

Apple-and-thorn skeletonizer moth, a small reddish-brown moth with light and dark wing bands
Apple-and-thorn skeletonizer moth, a small reddish-brown moth with light and dark wing bands. (c) Dan MacNeal, some rights reserved (CC BY) — via iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0

How to identify it

  • Larvae are 0.5 inch long, yellowish to greenish with black spots and a yellow-brown head.[1]
  • Adults are reddish-brown moths under 1/2 inch across, with irregular light and dark wing bands.[1]
  • Pupae are yellow to brown in a white silken cocoon inside the rolled leaf.[1]

Where it lives

The PNW Insect Management Handbook covers it on landscape trees in the Pacific Northwest.[1]

US map: public records from 19 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

Adult moths overwinter in crevices on the tree and lay small bunches of eggs under the leaves.[1]

Larvae feed under the leaf, then on top, often several to a roll; they pupate after three to four weeks, and adults emerge about two weeks later.[1]

There are at least two generations a year.[1]

Apple is preferred, but it also feeds on crabapple, cherry, pear, mountain ash, birch, plum, hawthorn and possibly willow.[1]

Damage and signs

  • Skeletonized leaves turn brown and papery and drop early; from a distance, the leaf tips look burned.[1]
  • Damage ranges from inconsequential to serious.[1]

Health risk

It feeds on plants; the PNW Insect Management Handbook mentions no risk to people.[1]

Control

Prevention

Scout trees early for skeletonizing to see whether larval numbers are high.[1]

Traps and physical control

On small trees, pinch rolled leaves to kill larvae or pull larvae and pupae out of the rolls; remove heavily infested twigs.[1]

Biological control

Many natural enemies attack it, so avoid broad-spectrum sprays that would disrupt them.[1]

Common questions

Why do the leaf tips on my crabapple look burned?
Apple-and-thorn skeletonizer feeding makes leaf tips look burned from a distance.[1]
Is the apple-and-thorn skeletonizer serious?
It ranges from inconsequential to serious, so check larval numbers early.[1]

Sources

  1. Pacific Northwest Pest Management Handbooks (OSU, WSU, University of Idaho), “Crabapple, flowering (Malus): Apple-and-thorn skeletonizer (Insect Management Handbook).” pnwhandbooks.org/insect/hort/landscape/hosts-pests-landscape-plants/crabapple-flowering-malus-apple-thorn-skeletonizer (accessed 2026-10-06)
  2. iNaturalist, “Choreutis pariana taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/203337 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-14. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.