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Lesser Canna Leafroller

Geshna cannalis[3]

The lesser canna leafroller is a small, pale caterpillar that feeds only on canna, living inside leaves that stay rolled or that it ties shut; unchecked, it can ruin the look of a canna bed.[1][2]

Group
Insect
Order
Lepidoptera
Family
Crambidae
US records
11 states
Sources
3 cited
Updated
2026-10-15
Light-brown lesser canna leafroller moth resting on a canna leaf
Light-brown lesser canna leafroller moth resting on a canna leaf. Photo: Dennis White, public domain (CC0), via iNaturalist
On this page
  1. Identification
  2. Look-alikes
  3. Where it lives
  4. Biology
  5. Damage and signs
  6. Health risk
  7. Control
  8. Common questions
  9. Sources

How to identify it

  • Caterpillars are slender, yellowish white and translucent, so the green leaf they've eaten shows through; they reach about 23 mm.[1][2]
  • Several caterpillars may share one rolled leaf.[1][2]
  • The moth is small, plain and light brown with two dark lines across the wings and a small white patch on the forewing.[2]

Look-alikes

Look-alikeHow to tell them apart
Larger canna leafrollerThe larger canna leafroller is a bigger, more voracious caterpillar on the same plants, and both may be present at once.[2]

Where it lives

It appears to occur throughout the southeastern United States, with records from Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee and South Carolina; NC State covers it in North Carolina.[1][2]

US map: public records from 11 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

It spends winter in dead canna leaves and stems, as caterpillars per NC State or as pupae per UF.[1][2]

Young caterpillars mine inside leaves, then feed in still-rolled new leaves or tie older leaves shut; UF reports generations of about 28 to 35 days in Florida summers.[1][2]

Damage and signs

  • Caterpillars eat the upper leaf surface inside rolled leaves, leaving cannas ragged.[1][2]

Health risk

None to people or pets.[1][2]

Control

Sanitation

Cut back and destroy all dead canna leaves and stems after frost instead of leaving them as mulch; isolated plantings can be nearly cleared this way.[1]

Pesticides

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) sprays work; spray straight down into the rolled leaves so the spray reaches the caterpillars.[1]

Common questions

Why are my canna leaves rolled up and ragged?
Lesser canna leafroller caterpillars feed inside rolled leaves.[1][2]
How do I stop canna leafrollers next year?
Remove and destroy dead canna growth after frost, where they spend the winter.[1][2]
Does Bt work?
Yes; spray it down into the rolls.[1]

Sources

  1. NC State Extension, “Lesser Canna Leafroller (PDIC Factsheet).” content.ces.ncsu.edu/lesser-canna-leafroller (accessed 2026-10-15)
  2. University of Florida IFAS Extension (EDIS, Featured Creatures), “Lesser Canna Leafroller, Geshna cannalis (EENY-133/IN290).” ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN290 (accessed 2026-10-15)
  3. iNaturalist, “Geshna cannalis taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/491637 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-15. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.