Moths of North Carolina
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Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Family (Alpha):
ACROLEPIIDAE-
ADELIDAE-
AMPHISBATIDAE-
AUTOSTICHIDAE-
BATRACHEDRIDAE-
BEDELLIIDAE-
BLASTOBASIDAE-
BOMBYCIDAE-
BUCCULATRICIDAE-
CARPOSINIDAE-
CHOREUTIDAE-
COLEOPHORIDAE-
COSMOPTERIGIDAE-
COSSIDAE-
CRAMBIDAE-
DEPRESSARIIDAE-
DREPANIDAE-
ELACHISTIDAE-
EPERMENIIDAE-
EPIPYROPIDAE-
EREBIDAE-Erebid Moths
ERIOCRANIIDAE-
EUTELIIDAE-
GALACTICIDAE-
GELECHIIDAE-
GEOMETRIDAE-
GLYPHIDOCERIDAE-
GLYPHIPTERIGIDAE-
GRACILLARIIDAE-
HELIOZELIDAE-
HEPIALIDAE-
HYBLAEIDAE-
INCURVARIIDAE-
LASIOCAMPIDAE-
LECITHOCERIDAE-Long-horned Moths
LIMACODIDAE-
LYONETIIDAE-
MEGALOPYGIDAE-Flannel Moths
MICROPTERIGIDAE-
MIMALLONIDAE-
MOMPHIDAE-Mompha Moths
NEPTICULIDAE-
NOCTUIDAE-Owlet Moths
NOLIDAE-
NOTODONTIDAE-
OECOPHORIDAE-
OPOSTEGIDAE-
PELEOPODIDAE-
PLUTELLIDAE-
PRODOXIDAE-
PSYCHIDAE-Bagworm Moths
PTEROPHORIDAE-
PYRALIDAE-
SATURNIIDAE-Saturniids
SCHRECKENSTEINIIDAE-
SESIIDAE-
SPHINGIDAE-Sphinx Moths
THYATIRIDAE-
THYRIDIDAE-
TINEIDAE-
TISCHERIIDAE-
TORTRICIDAE-
URANIIDAE-
URODIDAE-
XYLORYCTIDAE-
YPONOMEUTIDAE-
YPSOLOPHIDAE-
ZYGAENIDAE-
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Coleophoridae Members:
Calosima unidentified species
Coleophora albovanescens
Coleophora apicialbella
Coleophora atromarginata
Coleophora borea
Coleophora deauratella
Coleophora duplicis
Coleophora ericoides
Coleophora kalmiella
Coleophora kearfottella
Coleophora laticornella
Coleophora limosipennella
Coleophora lineapulvella
Coleophora mayrella
Coleophora ostryae
Coleophora trifolii
Coleophora unidentified species
Coleophora xyridella
Coleophora
Members:
Coleophora albovanescens
Coleophora apicialbella
Coleophora atromarginata
Coleophora borea
Coleophora deauratella
Coleophora duplicis
Coleophora ericoides
Coleophora kalmiella
Coleophora kearfottella
Coleophora laticornella
Coleophora limosipennella
Coleophora lineapulvella
Coleophora mayrella
Coleophora ostryae
Coleophora trifolii
Coleophora unidentified species
Coleophora xyridella
2 NC Records
Coleophora kalmiella
(McDunnough, 1936) - No Common Name
view caption
An unoccupied mine on Mountain Laurel; note the leaf cut-out at the end that was used to construct a case.
Taxonomy
Family:
Coleophoridae
P3 Number:
421528.00
MONA Number:
1273.00
Comments:
Coleophora kalmiella
specializes on species of
Kalmia
. Eiseman (2021) suspected that there may be two species that are miners of
Kalmia
, with one an undescribed species. Here, we treat this species as being a member of the North Carolina fauna with the understanding that it may be a member of an unresolved species complex.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions:
Online Photographs:
MPG
,
BugGuide
,
iNaturalist
,
Google
,
BAMONA
,
GBIF
,
BOLD
Adult Markings:
An adult that was reared by Eiseman (2021) from
Kalmia angustifolia
was uniformly light brown, with brown and white annulations on the antennae. Other adults that he reared from
K. latifolia
were similar but had a distinct white costal margin on the forewing. It is possible that these are different species, but additional work is needed to verify this.
Immatures and Development:
The larvae feed on species of
Kalmia
, including Mountain Laurel. The young larvae mine the leaf and deposit the frass inside the mine. They eventually cut out a part of a leaf and construct a typical
Coleophora
case. From that point on they form a blotch mine with an entrance hole, with the frass deposited outside of the mine (Eiseman, 2022). Landry (1998; cited in Eiseman, 2022) found maturing larvae alongside very small, early cases, which suggests that two years are required to complete the life cycle. Adults emerge in late May in Massachusetts and from late June to early July in Nova Scotia (Eiseman, 2022).
Larvae ID Requirements:
Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
The range is rather poorly documented and mostly based on leaf mine records. Adults or mines have been found in Canada (Ontario, Quebec, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia), and in the US from Vermont and Massachusetts southward along the Atlantic Coast states to North Carolina (Eiseman, 2022). there are also historical records from Kentucky. Jeff Niznik and David George recently discovered this species in the Piedmont of North Carolina, which is the southernmost known record for this species.
County Map:
Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Flight Dates:
High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
Piedmont (Pd)
Coastal Plain (CP)
Click on graph to enlarge
Flight Comments:
The adult emerge from late May in Massachusetts to late June to early July in Nova Scotia (Eiseman, 2021).
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Local populations are generally associated with
Kalmia
thickets.
Larval Host Plants:
The larvae specialize on
Kalmia
species (Eiseman, 2022). The only known hosts are Sheep Laurel (
Kalmia angustifolia
) and Mountain Laurel (
Kalmia latifolia
). As of 2023, we have a single site record of a leaf mine on Mountain Laurel. -
View
Observation Methods:
The adults resemble several other
Coleophora
species and cannot be reliably identified from images unless they are reared. We recommend searching Mountain Laurel for the mines and larvae.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks:
GNR SU
State Protection:
Comments:
As of 2023 we have a single record from the Piedmont. Additional information is needed on the distribution and abundance of this species in North Carolina before we can assess its conservation status.
Photo Gallery for
Coleophora kalmiella
- No Common Name
Photos: 4
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-10-29
Orange Co.
Comment: An unoccupied mine on Mountain Laurel; note the cut-out at the end.
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-10-29
Orange Co.
Comment: An unoccupied mine on Mountain Laurel; note the cut-out at the end.
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-10-29
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George on 2022-11-21
Orange Co.
Comment: An unoccupied mine on Mountain Laurel.