Moths of North Carolina
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54 NC Records

Catastega aceriella Clemens, 1861 - Maple Trumpet Skeletonizer Moth


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Taxonomy
Superfamily: Tortricoidea Family: TortricidaeSubfamily: OlethreutinaeTribe: EucosminiP3 Number: 621265.00 MONA Number: 3334.00
Comments: The genus Catastega was originally established based solely on the larval habit of forming funnel-like feeding shelters. The genus was later treated as a synonym of Epinotia before being resurrected by Brown (1986) based on genitalic differences.
Species Status: Catastega aceriella can reach relatively high densities in Canada and the Northeast, where is can cause minor defoliation of maples (Cote and Allen, 1973). The species is near the southern limit of its range in North Carolina, and does not cause significant damage to trees in our area.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Brown (1986)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The forewing has a whitish-gray ground color with darker grayish-brown to brownish-black markings. The most prominent mark is a sub-basal transverse band that extends from the middle of the wing to the inner margin at an oblique angle. A smaller and less oblique pretornal band or blotch is usually present at about four-fifths near the inner margin. Just anterior to this, there is often an irregular, and often oval-shaped, blotch near the middle of the wing. The costal margin has a well-defined series of dark bars and lighter strigulae. The hindwing is pale grayish brown with a dark band along the marginal scales (Grehan et al. 1995; Gilligan et al. 2008).

Catastega aceriella resembles C. timidella and a few other olethreutine moths, and is best assigned to genus using genitalia. Brown (1986) noted that our two Catastega species can usually be identified based on wing patterning. The sub-basal transverse band on C. aceriella typically extends from the middle of the wing to the inner margin, while the band terminates before reaching the inner margin in C. timidella. The latter species also has more extensive dark blotching on the costal half of the wing that produces a weakly two-toned appearance (Brown 1986, Gilligan et al. 2008). Both of our Catastega species produce distinctive tubular frass cases on the undersides of leaves and have different hosts that allow reliable identifications to species. Many of our locality records for both species are based on larval records.

Wingspan: 12-17 mm (Heinrich, 1923; Grehan et al. 1995).
Adult Structural Features: The following is based on Brown's (1986) general description of the genitalia of Catastega. In males, the uncus is bifid and the socii broad, setose, and ventrally fused with the bases of the gnathos. The anellus does not closely surround the base of the aedeagus and is often cuplike. The valva has a saccular spine cluster, while the cucullus is poorly defined or delimited by a deep ventral invagination. In females, the lamella postvaginalis is reduced. The lamella antevaginalis is developed and forms a conelike sterigma around the ostium. The ductus bursae has a sclerotized band posterior to the inception of the ductus seminalis. There are two signa present. The male anellus and female sterigma are apomorphic for Catastega and helpful in distinguishing them from species that are similar in external maculation (e.g., certain Gretchena).

Brown (1986) noted that C. timidella and C. aceriella cannot be separated easily by characters of male genitalia. However, female C. aceriella are distinctive in that sternum VII lacks rugae, tergum VIII and the papillae anales are narrower, and the sterigma is more rounded than in C. timidella. The author provides illustrations of the female genitalia of both species.
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable only by close inspection of structural features or by DNA analysis.
Immatures and Development: The pale yellowish-green larva binds together an expanding leaf to make a tent, then spins a thin sheet of webbing on the underside of the leaf to create a feeding chamber. The feeding chamber is often constructed near the base of an expanding maple leaf between two of the primary veins. As the larva feeds, it constructs a distinctive funnel-like structure for protection that is woven from fecal pellets and silk. The size of the protective fecal funnel is slowly expanded as the larva window-feeds on the leaf surface, and the chamber can be straight or broadly curved. Larvae typically retreat into the funnel when they are not actively feeding. The leaf becomes progressively buckled with age and may eventually become partially folded. The final instar eventually leaves the shelter and moves to the ground where it constructs a cocoon between two leaves. Overwintering occurs in the pupal stage, and the adults emerge the following spring or early summer (Cote and Allen, 1973; Rose and Linquist, 1997).

The slender larvae are pale cream to pale yellow-green and taper from the thoracic segments to the anal segment. Instars five and six have an amber-colored or light brown head capsule. The color of the pronotal shield varies from off-white to amber (Cote and Allen, 1973). Fecal funnels with larvae are most commonly found in North Carolina from July through early August. Local populations in North Carolina can reach high densities, and a single large maple branch or sapling will sometimes have a dozen or more larvae. Typically only one or two larvae are found on a given leaf.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Catastega aceriella occurs in eastern North America from New England and adjoining areas of Canada westward to the Great Lakes region, then southward to Kentucky, Tennessee, northern Alabama and western North Carolina. As of 2023, the majority of our records are from the western mountains except for a few records in the Piedmont on Acer floridanum which may represent introduced populations.
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
Immature 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: This species is univoltine. As of 2022, our North Carolina records for adults extend from late April through early August.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: In North Carolina, this species is strongly associated with rich montane forests that support Sugar Maple and Red Maple. Most of our records are from mid- to higher elevational sites.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae appear to feed primarily on (Acer saccharum) in many areas of the range (Grehan et al., 1995), but also use Red Maple (A. rubrum) and Mountain Maple (A. spicatum). As of 2023, most of our larval records for North Carolina come from Sugar Maple and Red Maple, except at the highest elevations where Mountain Maple (A. spicatum) is often used as a host. We also have a few Piedmont records for Florida Maple (A. floridanum). Catastega aceriella has also been reported to use American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) and hawthorns (Crataegus spp.) in Canada (Cote and Allen, 1973) that may reflect spillover during outbreaks. We are unaware of any use of these hosts in the southern Appalachians. In addition to the use of maples, Jim Petranka has observed frass tubes with larvae on leaflets of Yellow Buckeye (Aesculus flava) at several sites in the central and northern mountains that appear to be identical to those seen on maples, although the frass tubes are often larger. John Petranka and David George have also documented frass tubes on Painted Buckeye (A. sylvatica) in the eastern Piedmont. It is uncertain if the buckeye feeders are an undescribed species that is host-specific for Aesculus, or merely a new host record for Catastega aceriella. The use of buckeyes have also been documented in northern Alabama (iNaturalist). We are currently treating these as 'Catastega unidentified'.
Observation Methods: Local populations can be easily documented by searching for the distinctive tentiform shelters with funnelform feeding structures. The two Catastega species in the eastern US both produce these shelters, but the second species (C. timidella) is a specialist on oaks rather than maples. Adults also readily visit lights and can be locally common in areas with Sugar Maple and Red Maple stands.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for Rich Wet-Mesic Hardwood Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S4]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: This species can be regularly encountered at mid- to higher elevational forests with Sugar Maple and Red Maple and appears to be secure within the state.

 Photo Gallery for Catastega aceriella - Maple Trumpet Skeletonizer Moth

61 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn on 2023-08-12
Caswell Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin and Bo Sullivan on 2023-08-09
Ashe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin and Bo Sullivan on 2023-08-08
Wilkes Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Becky Watkins on 2023-08-06
Orange Co.
Comment: on Acer floridanum
Recorded by: David George, Becky Watkins on 2023-08-06
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-10-04
Transylvania Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-09-08
Yancey Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George on 2022-09-07
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: David George on 2022-09-07
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-08-24
Macon Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-08-24
Macon Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-08-24
Macon Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-08-10
Mitchell Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and John Petranka on 2022-08-09
Watauga Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-08-02
Jackson Co.
Comment: On Red Maple.		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-08-02
Jackson Co.
Comment: Frass tube on Red Maple.
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-07-11
Henderson Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-06-23
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-06-23
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-06-23
Buncombe Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-06-23
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-06-18
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-09-18
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-09-10
Transylvania Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-09-10
Transylvania Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-09-09
Jackson Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-08-30
Yancey Co.
Comment: Occupied mines were on Mountain Maple.		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-08-26
Buncombe Co.
Comment: Occupied mine was on Mountain Maple.
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-08-26
Yancey Co.
Comment: An exposed fecal chamber that was on Red Maple. 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-08-03
Alleghany Co.
Comment: On Red Maple.