Moths of North Carolina

Scientific Name:	Common Name:		Family (Alpha):

View PDF	Gracillariidae Members:	Caloptilia Members:	6 NC Records
Caloptilia cornusella (Ely, 1915) - No Common Name

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Taxonomy

Superfamily: Gracillarioidea

Family: Gracillariidae

Subfamily: Gracillariinae

Tribe: [Gracillariini]

P3 Number: 330122.00

MONA Number: 600.00

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions:	Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, GBIF, BOLD	Technical Description, Adults: Ely, 2015.	Technical Description, Immature Stages: Ely, 2015; Eiseman, 2019.
Adult Markings: The following is based on the original description by Ely (1915). based on numerous reared adults. This species has a dark purple ground color on the forewings, thorax, and upper head. The forewings have two golden patches on the costal margin. The larger one extends from the basal fourth to nearly the middle of the costa, while the second is widely separated from the first and very small. The face is pale lemon yellow and the labial palps are yellowish white and annulate with black just before the apex. The antenna is brown with fine yellowish annulations at the joints. The cilia are dark gray, with two distinct black lines extending around the apex and well into the dorsal cilia. The tibia and femur of the front and middle leg are dark purple, while the tarsi are white with fine dark markings near the tarsal joints. The hind leg is yellowish with brown shading. This species resembles C. bimaculatella, but has a dark purple ground color, widely separated costal patches, a posterior costal patch that is reduced in size, and a yellow face (white in C. bimaculatella).
Wingspan: 10 mm (Ely, 1915)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The larvae initially construct short, winding mines on the undersides of leaves. These eventually become elongated blotches about 1.3 cm or so long, and are usually constructed between two veins. After leaving the mine the larva rolls the leaf downward, from one side, into a cylindrical roll. The cocoon is boat-shaped and is made within the roll, near the first fold in the leaf (Ely, 1915). Braun (1927a) reported that on bunchberry the leaves are often rolled diagonally, or even almost from the tip; these rolls may be somewhat cornucopia-shaped rather than perfectly cylindrical (Eiseman, 2019).

Distribution in North Carolina


Distribution: C. cornusella is most common in southern Canada and in an area that extends from the Great Lakes region to the Northeast. Isolated populations occur southward to Kentucky and North Carolina. As of 2023 we have only two records that may reflect southern disjuncts.
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: In the Northeast, leaf rolls appear on Red-osier Dogwood in mid-July and adults emerge by early August (Eiseman, 2019). As of 2023, our only larval record is from July 15 in the Blue Ridge, with two reared adults emerging on August 3. Our only other record for an adult is from May 12 in the eastern Piedmont.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Local populations are typically associated with hardwood forests and the edges of wetlands.

Larval Host Plants: This species specializes on dogwoods (Cornus spp.). Documented hosts in eastern North America include Alternate-leaf Dogwood (C. alternifolia), Bunchberry (C. canadensis), Northern Swamp Dogwood (C. racemosa), and Redosier Dogwood (C. sericea ssp. sericea). - View

Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to UV lights and larvae can be collected by searching for the mines rolled leaves on native dogwoods.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Dogwood Thickets and Understories

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S1S3

State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.

Comments: Our two records for North Carolina as of 2023 may reflect disjunct populations of what is generally a more northernly distributed species.

Photo Gallery for Caloptilia cornusella - No common name		Photos: 9
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-08-03 Madison Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-08-03 Madison Co. Comment: Two reared adults emerged on August 3, 2023; rolled leaves of Alternate-leaved Dogwood had larvae on July 15; three pupae were inside leaf rolls on July 30; two adults emerged on August 3, 2023 (see companion photos of the mines, rolled leaves and pupa).
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-07-15 Madison Co. Comment: A rolled leaf of Alternate-leaved Dogwood that had larvae on July 15;; two adults emerged on August 3, 2023 (see companion photos of the adults).	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-07-15 Madison Co. Comment: A rolled leaf of Alternate-leaved Dogwood that had larvae on July 15;; two adults emerged on August 3, 2023 (see companion photos of the adults).
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-07-15 Madison Co. Comment: Unoccupied mines on the undersides of Alternate-leaved Dogwood.	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-07-15 Madison Co. Comment: Unoccupied mines on the undersides of Alternate-leaved Dogwood.
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-07-15 Madison Co. Comment: A boat-shaped pupa that was inside a rolled leaf of alternate-leaved dogwood.	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-16 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: B. Bockhahn, P. Scharf, L. Amos on 2015-05-12 Warren Co. Comment:

Caloptilia cornusella (Ely, 1915) - No Common Name

Photo Gallery for Caloptilia cornusella - No common name

Photos: 9