Moths of North Carolina
Home Page
Recent Entries
Recent Account Updates
County Searches
General Search
Submit a Public Record
Larval Hosts
References
Maps
Draft Checklists
Family PDFs
NC Biodiversity Project
Comments
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-
«
Home
»
View
PDF
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
Neurobathra
Members:
Neurobathra strigifinitella
Neurobathra unidentified species
58 NC Records
Neurobathra strigifinitella
(Clemens, 1860) - Finite-channeled Leafminer Moth
view caption
A view of a backlit leaf of a fresh Northern Red Oak with a mine. The third-instar larva mines a lateral vein, and later instars the mid-vein and leaf blade. Note the frass in the mid-vein where the larvae mined. In some cases the late instar larva may leave the mid-vein and create a blotch mine near the leaf tip as seen here.
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Gracillarioidea
Family:
Gracillariidae
Subfamily:
Gracillariinae
Tribe:
[Gracillariini]
P3 Number:
33a0111
MONA Number:
663.00
Comments:
Neurobathra
is a small genus of leaf-mining moths with only three described species in North America. Of these,
N. strigifinitella
is the only species that occurs in North Carolina.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions:
Beadle and Leckie (2012)
Online Resources:
MPG
,
BugGuide
,
iNaturalist
,
Google
,
BAMONA
,
GBIF
,
BOLD
Technical Description, Adults:
Heinrich and DeGryse, 1915; Forbes, 1923
Technical Description, Immature Stages:
Heinrich and DeGryse, 1915
Adult Markings:
The following description is primarily based on Heinrich and DeGryse (1915) and Forbes (1923). The palps are smoothly scaled and are yellowish white with brown barring. The maxillary palps are very small and less than a fifth as long as the upturned labial palps. The head and antenna are dull brown, and the antenna slightly exceeds the length of the body. The forewing is long and narrow and has complex patterning. The ground color varies from light brown to grayish brown and is striated obliquely from both margins with white striae that are edged with black. These tend to alternate with heavier solid black streaks or blotches. The three or four white streaks that originate from the dorsal margin are generally larger and more prominent that those from the costal margin. There is a conspicuous dark eyespot near the apex. Adjoining this dorsally, there is a short, fine, white longitudinal streak that in turn adjoins a prominent dark bar in the cilia. Beyond this, a thinner dark line is usually evident in the cilia. The hindwing is brownish gray, and the legs show varying levels of white and blackish banding. Despite the complex patterning, this species is easy to identify given its elongated, narrow wings, long antennae, recurved palps, apical eyespot, and the dark bar in the cilia.
Wingspan:
8 mm (Forbes, 1923).
Adult ID Requirements:
Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development:
Females lay their eggs singly on the lower leaf surface, usually near the base and between the lateral veins. The hatchling first makes a short, irregular, linear mine just beneath the lower epidermis. After the second molt, it bores into and mines a lateral vein. The fourth and later instars bore in the midrib. The mature larva emerges from the upper side of the midrib, typically near the tip of the leaf (Heinrich and DeGryse, 1915; Eiseman, 2019). If the midrib does not provide enough food to complete development, the larva will mine an irregular blotch adjacent to the midrib at the tip of the leaf. When finished feeding, the larva drops down on a strand of silk and spins a cocoon, usually on the underside of a leaf near the edge or against a major vein. The elliptical cocoon is transparent, white, and flat, and is decorated with 4–10 small, pearl-like globules (Heinrich and DeGryse, 1915; Eiseman, 2019). Most leaves have only one or two mines, but as many as four have been found on a single leaf.
Larvae ID Requirements:
Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
Neurobathra strigifinitella
is found in eastern North America, including Ontario, Quebec, and much of the eastern US. Populations are common and widespread east of the Mississippi River, with only a few scattered populations in Oklahoma and Texas. This species occurs statewide in North Carolina, but populations appear to be more common in the mountains and Piedmont where deciduous forests predominate.
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:
Many local populations are multivoltine. The adults are most active between May and September, with each brood requiring about a month to complete (Heinrich and DeGryse, 1915). Populations in the mountains appear to have a more restricted breeding season relative to those farther east. The adults of the final brood overwinter and are sometimes active during the late winter in warm climates. As of 2020, we have records from February through October.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Local populations are associated with deciduous forests or urban landscapes with chestnuts, oaks, and beech. American Chestnut appeared to be an important host species prior to its decline (Heinrich and DeGryse, 1915). Populations today rely more on oaks as hosts.
Larval Host Plants:
Larvae feed on members of the Fagaceae, including American Beech (
Fagus grandifolia
), American Chestnut (
Castanea dentata
), Allegheny Chinquapin (
C. pumila
), and several species of oaks (Robinson et al., 2008). As of 2024, the documented hosts in North Carolina include Northern Red Oak (
Quercus rubra
), Southern Red Oak (
Q. falcata
), Turkey Oak (
Q. laevis
), Blackjack Oak (
Q. marilandica
), Water Oak (
Q. nigra
), Pin Oak (
Q. palustris
), Willow Oak (
Q. phellos
), Black Oak (
Q. velutina
), and Live Oak (
Q. virginiana
). We also have one record for Allegheny Chinquapin. -
View
Observation Methods:
The adults regularly visit lights and the leaf mines are often common on oaks and other hosts.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for
General Oak-Hickory Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks:
GNR [S4S5]
State Protection:
Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:
This species is seemingly common and widespread across much of the state where oaks and other hosts are present.
Photo Gallery for
Neurobathra strigifinitella
- Finite-channeled Leafminer Moth
53 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2024-08-20
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-24
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2024-06-09
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: An unoccupied mine on Pin Oak.
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2024-06-09
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2024-06-09
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-02
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-05-25
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-09-07
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: John Petranka, David George on 2023-08-05
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Becky Watkins on 2023-07-30
Swain Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George on 2023-07-12
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2023-07-12
Orange Co.
Comment: An unoccupied mine on Castanea pumila.
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-07-08
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-18
New Hanover Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: John Petranka on 2023-05-25
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka, John Petranka and Bo Sullivan on 2023-05-18
Richmond Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-04-28
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-04-28
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-07-12
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-07-12
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-07-12
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-06-14
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-05-28
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George on 2021-07-10
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2021-07-04
Onslow Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-06-16
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-06-14
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-06-12
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: jim Petranka on 2021-05-16
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2021-05-11
Onslow Co.
Comment: