The locust leafminer is primarily a pest of black locust. Adults skeletonize and eat holes in the leaves; whereas, larvae mine the tissue between the upper and lower-leaf surface (mining damage is the most destructive). Under outbreak conditions, whole hillsides turn gray or brown, often suggesting fall color change. Outbreaks of the locust leafminer are generally more spectacular than destructive. In combination with other stress factors, outbreaks contribute to growth loss and occasional tree mortality.

Hosts: The major hosts are black locust and honeylocust. Other tree species (apple, beech, birch, cherry, elm, oak, and hawthorn) are occasionally attacked.