Moths of North Carolina
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Significant Contributors
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Family (Alpha):
ACROLEPIIDAE-
ADELIDAE-Fairy moths
AMPHISBATIDAE-
AUTOSTICHIDAE-
BATRACHEDRIDAE-Batrachedrid Moths
BEDELLIIDAE-Bedelliid Moths
BLASTOBASIDAE-
BOMBYCIDAE-
BUCCULATRICIDAE-
CARPOSINIDAE-
CHOREUTIDAE-Metalmark Moths
COLEOPHORIDAE-Casebearer Moths and Relatives
COSMOPTERIGIDAE-Cosmopterigid Moths
COSSIDAE-Carpenter Moths, Goat Moths
CRAMBIDAE-Grass Moths, Snout Moths
DEPRESSARIIDAE-
DREPANIDAE-Hook-tips and Thyatirid Moths
ELACHISTIDAE-Grassminer Moths and Relatives
EPERMENIIDAE-
EPIPYROPIDAE-
EREBIDAE-Erebid Moths
ERIOCRANIIDAE-
EUTELIIDAE-
GALACTICIDAE-
GELECHIIDAE-Gelechiid Moths; Twirler Moths
GEOMETRIDAE-Geometer Moths, Loopers
GLYPHIDOCERIDAE-
GLYPHIPTERIGIDAE-Sedge Moths
GRACILLARIIDAE-Leafblotch miner moths
HELIOZELIDAE-Shield bearer moths
HEPIALIDAE-Ghost or Swift Moths
HYBLAEIDAE-
INCURVARIIDAE-
LASIOCAMPIDAE-Tent Caterpillar Moths, Lappet Moths
LECITHOCERIDAE-Long-horned Moths
LIMACODIDAE-Slug Caterpillar Moths
LYONETIIDAE-Lyonetiid Moths
MEGALOPYGIDAE-Flannel Moths
MICROPTERIGIDAE-Mandibulate Moths
MIMALLONIDAE-
MOMPHIDAE-Mompha Moths
NEPTICULIDAE-Minute leaf miners
NOCTUIDAE-Owlet Moths
NOLIDAE-
NOTODONTIDAE-Prominents
OECOPHORIDAE-Oecophorid Moths
OPOSTEGIDAE-
PELEOPODIDAE-
PLUTELLIDAE-Diamondback Moths
PRODOXIDAE-Yucca Moths
PSYCHIDAE-Bagworm Moths
PTEROPHORIDAE-Plume Moths
PYRALIDAE-Pyralid Moths, Snout Moths
SATURNIIDAE-Giant Silkworm Moths
SCHRECKENSTEINIIDAE-Schreckensteiniid Moths
SESIIDAE-Clearwing Moths
SPHINGIDAE-Sphinx Moths
THYATIRIDAE-
THYRIDIDAE-Window-winged Moths
TINEIDAE-Clothes moths
TISCHERIIDAE-Tischerid Moths
TORTRICIDAE-Leafroller Moths
URANIIDAE-
URODIDAE-Urodid Moths
XYLORYCTIDAE-
YPONOMEUTIDAE-Ermine Moths
YPSOLOPHIDAE-Ypsolophid Moths
ZYGAENIDAE-
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Gracillariidae Members:
Acrocercops albinatella
Acrocercops astericola
Acrocercops unidentified species
Anarsioses aberrans
Aristaea pennsylvaniella
Caloptilia alnivorella
Caloptilia azaleella
Caloptilia belfragella
Caloptilia bimaculatella
Caloptilia blandella
Caloptilia cornusella
Caloptilia coroniella
Caloptilia flavella
Caloptilia glutinella
Caloptilia hypericella
Caloptilia invariabilis
Caloptilia juglandiella
Caloptilia negundella
Caloptilia ostryaeella
Caloptilia packardella
Caloptilia paradoxum
Caloptilia porphyretica
Caloptilia rhoifoliella
Caloptilia sassafrasella
Caloptilia serotinella
Caloptilia stigmatella
Caloptilia superbifrontella
Caloptilia triadicae
Caloptilia umbratella
Caloptilia unidentified species
Caloptilia violacella
Cameraria aceriella
Cameraria aesculisella
Cameraria arcuella
Cameraria bethunella
Cameraria betulivora
Cameraria caryaefoliella
Cameraria castaneaeella
Cameraria cincinnatiella
Cameraria conglomeratella
Cameraria corylisella
Cameraria fasciella
Cameraria fletcherella
Cameraria guttifinitella
Cameraria hamadryadella
Cameraria hamameliella
Cameraria lentella
Cameraria macrocarpella
Cameraria obstrictella
Cameraria ostryarella
Cameraria picturatella
Cameraria quercivorella
Cameraria saccharella
Cameraria tubiferella
Cameraria ulmella
Cameraria unidentified species
Chrysaster ostensackenella
Cremastobombycia ignota
Cremastobombycia solidaginis
Cremastobombycia unidentified species
Cryptolectica strigosa
Leucanthiza amphicarpeaefoliella
Leucospilapteryx unidentified species
Leucospilapteryx venustella
Macrosaccus morrisella
Macrosaccus robiniella
Macrosaccus uhlerella
Marmara apocynella
Marmara auratella
Marmara fasciella
Marmara fraxinicola
Marmara new species 1 - on Symplocos
Marmara new species 10 - on Benthamidia and Swida
Marmara new species 11 - on Dysphania or Chenopodium
Marmara new species 12 - on Euphorbia
Marmara new species 13 - on Gardenia
Marmara new species 14 - on Gelsemium
Marmara new species 15 - on Ilex spp.
Marmara new species 16 - on Impatiens
Marmara new species 17 - on Iva spp.
Marmara new species 18 - on Liquidambar
Marmara new species 19 - on Morella
Marmara new species 2 - on Clematis
Marmara new species 20 - on Nyssa
Marmara new species 21 - on Oxydendrum leaf
Marmara new species 22 - on Oxydendrum stem
Marmara new species 23 - on Passiflora
Marmara new species 24 - on Quercus alba
Marmara new species 25 - on Quercus margaretiae and virginiana
Marmara new species 26 - on Rosa
Marmara new species 27 - on Senna
Marmara new species 28 - on Ulmus
Marmara new species 29 - on Vaccinium
Marmara new species 3 - on Acer spp.
Marmara new species 4 - on Acer negundo
Marmara new species 5 - on Borrichia
Marmara new species 6 - on Carpinus
Marmara new species 7 - on Ostrya
Marmara new species 8 - on Carya spp.
Marmara new species 9 - on Cercis
Marmara serotinella
Marmara smilacisella
Marmara unidentified species
Marmara viburnella
Micrurapteryx salicifoliella
Neurobathra strigifinitella
Neurobathra unidentified species
New genus and species near Neurobathra
Parectopa lespedezaefoliella
Parectopa plantaginisella
Parectopa robiniella
Parectopa unidentified species
Parornix geminatella
Parornix obliterella
Parornix preciosella
Parornix unidentified species
Parornix vicinella
Phyllocnistis ampelopsiella
Phyllocnistis hyperpersea
Phyllocnistis insignis
Phyllocnistis liquidambarisella
Phyllocnistis liriodendronella
Phyllocnistis New Species one
Phyllocnistis subpersea
Phyllocnistis unidentified species
Phyllocnistis vitegenella
Phyllocnistis vitifoliella
Phyllonorycter aeriferella
Phyllonorycter albanotella
Phyllonorycter argentifimbriella
Phyllonorycter argentinotella
Phyllonorycter auronitens
Phyllonorycter basistrigella
Phyllonorycter caryaealbella
Phyllonorycter celtifoliella
Phyllonorycter celtisella
Phyllonorycter crataegella
Phyllonorycter diversella
Phyllonorycter fitchella
Phyllonorycter intermixta
Phyllonorycter lucetiella
Phyllonorycter lucidicostella
Phyllonorycter maestingella
Phyllonorycter mariaeella
Phyllonorycter martiella
Phyllonorycter New Species one
Phyllonorycter obscuricostella
Phyllonorycter occitanica
Phyllonorycter ostryaefoliella
Phyllonorycter propinquinella
Phyllonorycter quercialbella
Phyllonorycter rhododendrella
Phyllonorycter salicifoliella
Phyllonorycter scudderella
Phyllonorycter tiliacella
Phyllonorycter trinotella
Phyllonorycter unidentified species
Phyllonorycter viburnella
Porphyrosela desmodiella
Porphyrosela minuta
Porphyrosela unidentified species
Povolnya quercinigrella
Telamoptilia hibiscivora
Caloptilia
Members:
Caloptilia alnivorella
Caloptilia azaleella
Caloptilia belfragella
Caloptilia bimaculatella
Caloptilia blandella
Caloptilia cornusella
Caloptilia coroniella
Caloptilia flavella
Caloptilia glutinella
Caloptilia hypericella
Caloptilia invariabilis
Caloptilia juglandiella
Caloptilia negundella
Caloptilia ostryaeella
Caloptilia packardella
Caloptilia paradoxum
Caloptilia porphyretica
Caloptilia rhoifoliella
Caloptilia sassafrasella
Caloptilia serotinella
Caloptilia stigmatella
Caloptilia superbifrontella
Caloptilia triadicae
Caloptilia umbratella
Caloptilia unidentified species
Caloptilia violacella
15 NC Records
Caloptilia sassafrasella
(Chambers, 1876) - Sassafras Caloptilia
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Gracillarioidea
Family:
Gracillariidae
Subfamily:
Gracillariinae
Tribe:
[Gracillariini]
P3 Number:
33a0201
MONA Number:
633.00
Comments:
Caloptilia
is a large genus with nearly 300 described species; 64 species have been described in North America north of Mexico. The larvae begin as leaf-mining sap-feeders, but 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. The frass is dark and granular.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions:
Online Resources:
MPG
,
BugGuide
,
iNaturalist
,
Google
,
BAMONA
,
GBIF
,
BOLD
Adult Markings:
The head, face, palps, and wings are all rather uniformly brown with a yellowish tinge. Two conspicuous dark spots occur on the costa -- one midway, and the other just before the apex. The femur and tibia of the front and middle leg are dark, while the tarsi are white with faint dots at the tarsal junctions. The rear leg is light tan with darker marks at the tarsal joints. This species resembles
C. rhoifoliella
, but the face and palps are dark, compared with the whitish face and palps of
C. rhoifoliella
. The two conspicuous dark costal spots also help distinguish this species from
C. rhoifoliella
. The forewings of
Caloptilia sassafrasella
are noticeably narrower than those of other
Caloptilia
species, which can be useful in identifying specimens.
Adult ID Requirements:
Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development:
The larva initially makes a crooked linear mine on the underside of the leaf that ends in an oblong tentiform mine that is often along the midrib. The half-grown larva then abandons the mine and rolls a leaf downward from the tip into a cone. It pupates in a yellow cocoon on a leaf and the adult emerges in late spring or early summer (Eiseman, 2022).
Larvae ID Requirements:
Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
Caloptilia sassafrasella
occurs throughout much of the eastern US and southern Ontario. Our records for North Carolina are from the Blue Ridge and Piedmont, but this species likely occurs in the Coastal Plain as well since Sassafras occurs statewide.
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:
This species is multivoltine. In North Carolina the adults become active following the spring leaf-out and can be found through November or early December.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Caloptilia sassafrasella
is strongly associated with
Sassafras albidum
, which is the host species. Sassafras occurs in a wide variety of habitats in North Carolina. It is often an early successional species that occurs in old fields, field edges, roadsides and recently timbered sites. However, it also thrives in a variety of mesic or sub-mesic forest communities such as pine-oak forests or oak-hickory forests, particularly during early to mid-successional stages.
Larval Host Plants:
Sassafras (
Sassafras albidum
) is the only known host for this species (Eiseman, 2019), and has been confirmed as the host in North Carolina. -
View
Observation Methods:
Adults are attracted to UV lights, and the larvae can be found by searching Sassafras leaves for the blotch mines or curled leaf shelters.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for
Forest-Field Ecotones and Groves
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks:
GNR S3S5
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 sassafrasella
- Sassafras Caloptilia
Photos: 17
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-08-22
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-27
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Bo Sullivan on 2023-05-17
Moore Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Bo Sullivan on 2023-05-17
Moore Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Bo Sullivan on 2023-05-17
Moore Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2022-09-17
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2022-09-17
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2022-03-23
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2020-10-30
Onslow Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn on 2020-06-02
Alleghany Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2020-03-30
Onslow Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2020-03-13
Onslow Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: B. Bockhahn, K. Kittelberger, P. Scharf on 2015-06-18
Avery Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn on 2015-06-18
Avery Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Harry Wilson on 2014-04-04
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: T. DeSantis on 2013-12-06
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Paul Scharf on 2011-09-26
Warren Co.
Comment: