Welcome to the Leek Moth Information Center for the United States

Leek moth is a pest of members of the Allium family including onions, garlic, leeks, chives and shallots. The larvae feed on crop foliage, stunting plant growth and compromising the storage life of the crop.

adult leek moth

Leek moth adult. Photo: Dan Olmstead, NYS IPM, Cornell AgriTech.

The first discovery of leek moth in the US was in 2009 in a home garden in Plattsburgh, NY (Clinton County). This insect is native to Europe and was first found in North America in 1993 in Ontario, Canada.

Map of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, showing their counties. The following counties are highlighted: Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Franklin, Clinton, Essex, and Washington counties, New York; Grand Isle, Franklin, Orleans, Essex, Chittenden, Lamoille, Caledonia, Washington, Addison, Orange, Rutland, and Bennington counties Vermont; Coos and Grafton counties New Hampshire; and Franklin and Somerset counties, Maine.

Leek Moth Presence in North America as of April, 2021.

Northeast SARE
Funding for the work reported here was provided by the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, Research and Education Grant LNE19-379.

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