Moths of North Carolina
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
« »
View PDFNepticulidae Members:
Zimmermannia Members:
17 NC Records

Zimmermannia bosquella (Chambers, 1878) - No Common Name

Zimmermannia bosquellaZimmermannia bosquellaZimmermannia bosquellaZimmermannia bosquella
Taxonomy
Superfamily: Nepticuloidea Family: NepticulidaeP3 Number: 16a0078 MONA Number: 55.00
Comments: Zimmermannia is a genus that contains 17 currently recognized species, many of which were previously placed in the closely related genus Ectoedemia. Five species are currently recognized in the Nearctic region. In their revised classification and catalogue of global Nepticulidae, Nieukerken et al. (2016) recognized Z. bosquella as a new combination that involved treating three previously recognized species as synonyms. These are Ectoedemia castaneae Busck, 1913, E. heinrichi Busck, 1914, and E. helenella Wilkinson, 1981.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Busck, 1914; Braun, 1917Technical Description, Immature Stages: Busck, 1914; Eiseman, 2019                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The palps are pale ocherous, and the face, head and tufts black. The antenna is dark fuscous with narrow pale annulations. The eye-caps are creamy-white. The thorax is pale ocherous to light tan with a few blackish scales. The ground color of the forewing is also pale ocherous to light tan and densely dusted with blackish fuscous scales which tend to form patches. The blackish scales are typically reduced near the extreme base of the wing, near the basal third, and near the apical third. This produces two poorly defined transverse fascia, one at the basal third, the other at the apical third, on which the dark dusting is absent or scattered. The second fascia is less distinct and is sometimes almost obliterated by scattered dusting (Braun, 1917). The cilia are pale ocherous, with a row of dark-tipped scales around the base. The hindwing and cilia are fuscous. The legs are ocherous. Z. bosquella is distinctive in having a black head and tuft. It also usually has the dark dusting organized as two or three patches on the forewing. The other two Zimmermannia that might occur in NC (phleophaga; obrutella) have ocherous tufts and more scattered dusting.
Wingspan: 9-10 mm (Busck, 1914)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The larva forms a characteristic spiral mine in the bark of young branches of oaks. The mine is a narrow linear track that is closely coiled in a flattened oval spiral that resembles a watch spring (Busck, 1914). The bark of old mines cracks and often breaks away entirely. This leaves the inner bark exposed and produces scars which persist for a number of years (Busck, 1914; Braun, 1917; Eiseman, 2019). The larvae are found chiefly on young saplings, but also mine the outer branches of trees. In Virginia, the mature larva exits the mine in autumn and drops to the ground, where it pupates in a reddish-brown cocoon that is about 3–4 mm by 2–2.5 mm (Busck, 1914). The adults emerge in May and June of the following year.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: virginia, ohio, kentucky
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: Local populations are univoltine. The larvae overwinter as pupae, and the adults emerge during or after the spring leaf-out. Adults emerge in May and June in Virginia (Eiseman, 2019). As of 2020, we have records of adults from late March and early April near the coast, to mid-May in the Piedmont.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Local populations are associated with hardwood forests, but little is known about the specific habitats. As of 2020, our records are from semi-wooded residential neighborhoods and a young, second growth forest.
Larval Host Plants: This species mines the stems of Pin Oak (Quercus palustris), and very likely other oak species since many of our records are from areas of the state where Pin Oak does not occur. Busck (1913) reported that one of the species that has been synonymized with Z. bosquella (Ectoedemia castaneae) was breed by colleagues from stem galls on chestnuts. The galls have not been found since Busck’s original description of the species (Eiseman, 2019). - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights, and the distinctive spiral mines on oak twigs are easily recognizable.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR SU
State Protection:
Comments: We currently do not have sufficient data on the distribution and abundance of this species within the state to assess its conservation status.

 Photo Gallery for Zimmermannia bosquella - No common name

Photos: 17

Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-05-24
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2024-04-16
New Hanover Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George on 2023-05-31
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George on 2023-05-09
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-06-06
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-05-20
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2022-04-02
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2021-07-03
Onslow Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2021-05-06
Onslow Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2021-04-08
Onslow Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Kyle Kittelberger on 2020-05-17
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Kyle Kittelberger on 2020-05-17
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Kyle Kittelberger on 2020-05-17
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Kyle Kittelberger on 2020-05-13
Moore Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2020-05-02
Onslow Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2020-04-02
Onslow Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2020-03-30
Onslow Co.
Comment: