Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGracillariidae Members: Caloptilia Members: 20 NC Records

Caloptilia invariabilis (Braun, 1927) - Cherry Leaf-cone Caterpillar Moth


Caloptilia invariabilisCaloptilia invariabilisCaloptilia invariabilis
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Gracillarioidea
Family:
Gracillariidae
Subfamily:
Gracillariinae
Tribe:
[Gracillariini]
P3 Number:
33a0178
MONA Number:
609.00
Comments: Caloptilia is a large genus with nearly 300 described species; 64 species have been described from North America north of Mexico. The larvae mostly feed on woody plants and begin as leaf-mining sap-feeders. The latter instars usually exit the mines and feed within a conical roll that begins at the leaf apex or at the tip of a leaf lobe.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Immature Stages: (Braun 1927, 1935; Eiseman 2019).                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The adults are rather uniformly colored on the forewings, upper thorax, upper head, and labial palps with deep saffron. Crimson and pale blue reflections are sometimes evident on the forewings, and the costal margin is often lighter than the remainder of the forewing. Some specimens have a row of minute brown costal specks (Eiseman, 2019). The tibia and femur of the front and middle leg are dark reddish fuscous to black, and are noticeably darker than the forewing ground color. The tarsi are white with dark spots near the tarsal joints and varying amounts of fuscous dusting. The rear legs are lighter than the front and middle legs and uniformly dusted with fuscous coloration.
Wingspan: 16.5-17.6 mm (eastern TN specimens; Braun, 1935)
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The mine is a very indistinct, whitish, linear mine that ends in a small underside blotch, with the parenchyma consumed and the epidermis somewhat wrinkled. When the mine is at the leaf margin, the edge is folded under. Upon exiting the mine, the larva rolls the leaf downward from the tip, forming a cone (Braun 1927; Eiseman 2019). Braun (1935) observed larvae in the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee that made a small initial cone before making the typical larger cone. The cocoon is spun outside the cone.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Specimens that conform to the description of C. invariabilis has been found in scattered localities in the West in British Columbia, Washington and California. This species is more broadly distributed in eastern North America from southern Canada southward to eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina (Eiseman, 2019; BugGuide; iNaturalist). Other than Buncombe Co. (iNaturalist), most records for North Carolina are from moderate to high elevations in the Blue Ridge and include Madison, Avery, and Watauga counties (BugGuide).
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Caloptilia invariabilisAlamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New%20Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: adults.
Flight Comments: Our very limited records for North Carolina indicate a flight season from June through late October.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Populations in North Carolina appear to be common at higher elevations, perhaps because of the strong reliance of this species on Fire Cherry.
Larval Host Plants: Caloptilia invariabilis specializes on Prunus species, particularly Fire Cherry (P. pensylvanica). Braun (1935) found specimens on Chickasaw Plum (P. angustifolia) in the Great Smoky Mountains, while Robinson et al. (2002) listed Black Cherry (P. serotina) and Choke Cherry (P. virginiana) as hosts for Canadian populations (Eiseman, 2019). In North Carolina, our only record is for Black Cherry. - View
Observation Methods: Adults are attracted to UV lights. Larvae can be located by searching for curled leaf-tips on Fire Cherry or other Prunus species in the mountains.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for Montane Rosaceous Thickets
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S3S4
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Caloptilia invariabilis - Cherry Leaf-cone Caterpillar Moth

Photos: 16
Caloptilia invariabilisRecorded by: Owen McConnell and Simpson Eason on 2024-06-21
Graham Co.
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Caloptilia invariabilisRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-04-15
Madison Co.
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Caloptilia invariabilisRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-04-08
Madison Co.
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Caloptilia invariabilisRecorded by: K. Bischof on 2024-04-08
Transylvania Co.
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Caloptilia invariabilisRecorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Becky Watkins on 2023-07-30
Swain Co.
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Caloptilia invariabilisRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-08-14
Madison Co.
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Caloptilia invariabilisRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-03-06
Madison Co.
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Caloptilia invariabilisRecorded by: tom ward on 2021-10-08
Buncombe Co.
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Caloptilia invariabilisRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Bo Sullivan on 2021-08-02
Ashe Co.
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Caloptilia invariabilisRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-05-28
Buncombe Co.
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Caloptilia invariabilisRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-05-21
Madison Co.
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Caloptilia invariabilisRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-04-12
Madison Co.
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Caloptilia invariabilisRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-03-11
Madison Co.
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Caloptilia invariabilisRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-07-25
Madison Co.
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Caloptilia invariabilisRecorded by: B. Bockhahn, P. Scharf on 2016-06-28
Yancey Co.
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Caloptilia invariabilisRecorded by: Kyle Kittelberger, Paul Scharf, Brian Bockhahn on 2015-06-17
Avery Co.
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