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-
AMPHISBATIDAE-
AUTOSTICHIDAE-
BATRACHEDRIDAE-
BEDELLIIDAE-
BLASTOBASIDAE-
BOMBYCIDAE-
BUCCULATRICIDAE-
CARPOSINIDAE-
CHOREUTIDAE-
COLEOPHORIDAE-
COSMOPTERIGIDAE-
COSSIDAE-
CRAMBIDAE-
DEPRESSARIIDAE-
DREPANIDAE-
ELACHISTIDAE-
EPERMENIIDAE-
EPIPYROPIDAE-
EREBIDAE-Erebid Moths
ERIOCRANIIDAE-
EUTELIIDAE-
GALACTICIDAE-
GELECHIIDAE-
GEOMETRIDAE-
GLYPHIDOCERIDAE-
GLYPHIPTERIGIDAE-
GRACILLARIIDAE-
HELIOZELIDAE-
HEPIALIDAE-
HYBLAEIDAE-
INCURVARIIDAE-
LASIOCAMPIDAE-
LECITHOCERIDAE-Long-horned Moths
LIMACODIDAE-
LYONETIIDAE-
MEGALOPYGIDAE-Flannel Moths
MICROPTERIGIDAE-
MIMALLONIDAE-
MOMPHIDAE-Mompha Moths
NEPTICULIDAE-
NOCTUIDAE-Owlet Moths
NOLIDAE-
NOTODONTIDAE-
OECOPHORIDAE-
OPOSTEGIDAE-
PELEOPODIDAE-
PLUTELLIDAE-
PRODOXIDAE-
PSYCHIDAE-Bagworm Moths
PTEROPHORIDAE-
PYRALIDAE-
SATURNIIDAE-Saturniids
SCHRECKENSTEINIIDAE-
SESIIDAE-
SPHINGIDAE-Sphinx Moths
THYATIRIDAE-
THYRIDIDAE-
TINEIDAE-
TISCHERIIDAE-
TORTRICIDAE-
URANIIDAE-
URODIDAE-
XYLORYCTIDAE-
YPONOMEUTIDAE-
YPSOLOPHIDAE-
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 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 fasciella
Marmara fraxinicola
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
Marmara
Members:
Marmara apocynella
Marmara fasciella
Marmara fraxinicola
Marmara serotinella
Marmara smilacisella
Marmara unidentified species
Marmara viburnella
11 NC Records
Marmara fraxinicola
Braun, 1922 - No Common Name
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Gracillarioidea
Family:
Gracillariidae
Subfamily:
Marmarinae
P3 Number:
330237.00
MONA Number:
709.00
Comments:
The genus
Marmara
contains about 20 described species from North America and numerous undescribed species. Most species are monophagous, and the mines have been found on over 80 North American plant genera in 40 families (Eiseman et al., 2017). This suggests that there are dozens of undescribed species in the US.
Species Status:
This is one of many ash specialists that are of conservation concern due to the destruction of ash trees by the Emerald Ash Borer.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions:
Online Photographs:
MPG
,
BugGuide
,
iNaturalist
,
Google
,
BAMONA
,
GBIF
,
BOLD
Technical Description, Adults:
Braun, 1922.
Technical Description, Immature Stages:
Braun, 1922; Fitzgerald and Simeone, 1971; Fitzgerald, 1973; Eiseman, 2019.
Adult Markings:
The following is based on the description by Braun (1922). The maxillary palp is white inwardly and black outwardly. The labial palp is white, except for the black outer side of the second segment and a black spot near the tip of the third segment. The antenna is white and the pecten black. The head, thorax and ground color of the forewings are shining white. At the extreme base of the costa there is a small brown spot that is outwardly margined with dark brown scales. Immediately following it, and connected with it by minute brown dusting, is a large brown blotch that extends to near the mid-point of the wing. Near the middle of wing there is a posteriorly angulated fascia that is broad and brown. Following this at two-thirds, there is an oblique brown fascia that begins at the costa and forks about midway. The inner fork continues to the dorsum, while the outer fork curves to the dorsum at the tornus. Between the forked fascia and the apex there is an oblique and slightly curved brown fascia that extends to the fringe. There is a minute brown apical spot, and two oblique brown lines that run into the white cilia on either side of the apex. The cilia has a brown line that runs through the base. The hindwing and cilia are dark brown. The front and middle legs are white, with the femora brown. The lower portions have banding or spotting on the tarsi. The hind leg has oblique brown streaks.
Wingspan:
8.5 mm (Braun, 1922).
Immatures and Development:
The larvae mine the stems and branches of ash trees. Larvae begin mining in the new growth in the spring or summer and continue through the year. They then overwinter and finish mining with the spring warm-up. Pupation takes place shortly thereafter in an elevated bark flap at the end of the mine (Braun, 1922; Fitzgerald and Simeone, 1971; Fitzgerald, 1973). The eggs are laid on stems or branches that are 0.6–20 cm in diameter. The mine runs along the length of the stem, with liquid frass deposited in a continuous, dark, central line along the floor of the mine. Completed mines are 55–95 cm long, about 0.7 mm wide at the origin and up to 7.5 mm wide at the end (Eiseman, 2019).
Larvae ID Requirements:
Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
Marmara fraxinicola
is found in eastern North America, but the range is poorly defined because of the scarcity of records. Adults or mines have been found in Ontario, Minnesota, Ohio, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Texas. As of 2024, most of our records are from the Piedmont, with one from a lower-elevation site in the Blue Ridge.
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:
Local populations are univoltine and the adults are active following the spring warm-up, typically between May through July.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Local populations are dependent on ash trees for successful reproduction. These are found in a variety of hardwood and mixed-hardwood forests that occur in floodplains and bottomlands, as well as on more mesic to drier slopes.
Larval Host Plants:
The only known hosts are White Ash (
Fraxinus americana
) and Green Ash (
F. pennsylvanica
), but other ashes may be used (Braun, 1922; Fitzgerald and Simeone, 1971; Fitzgerald, 1973; Eiseman, 2019). -
View
Observation Methods:
The adults appear to rarely visit lights and many records are based on the stem mines. We encourage naturalists to search for stem mines on ashes to document local populations that occur within the state.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for
General Ash Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
[W3]
Natural Heritage Program Ranks:
GNR [S1S3]
State Protection:
Comments:
As of 2023, this species is only known in North Carolina from a few sites in Durham and Mecklenburg County, but probably still occurs in other regions of the state.
Marmara fraxinicola
has a High Endangerment Risk due to the widespread destruction of ashes by the Emerald Ash Borer (Wagner and Todd, 2016). The threat status alone merits a high conservation concern both within the state and globally.
Photo Gallery for
Marmara fraxinicola
- No common name
Photos: 8
Recorded by: Tracy Feldman on 2024-06-21
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-05-23
Madison Co.
Comment: Mine was on bark of a young sapling of American Ash.
Recorded by: David George on 2023-10-16
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2023-05-22
Wake Co.
Comment: Mine on Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica).
Recorded by: David George, Tracy Feldman on 2023-05-16
Orange Co.
Comment: unoccupied stem mine on Green Ash.
Recorded by: David George, Tracy Feldman on 2023-05-16
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2023-01-21
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: On Green Ash (unoccupied).
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2023-01-21
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: On Green Ash (unoccupied).