Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGracillariidae Members: Marmara Members: 62 NC Records

Marmara smilacisella (Chambers, 1875) - No Common Name


Marmara smilacisella
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Marmara smilacisella
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Marmara smilacisella
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Marmara smilacisella
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Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Gracillarioidea
Family:
Gracillariidae
Subfamily:
Gracillariinae
Tribe:
[Gracillariini]
P3 Number:
33a0401
MONA Number:
718.00
Comments: The genus Marmara contains 19 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 that belong to 40 families (Eiseman et al., 2017). Given the small number of described species relative to the large number of hosts, there appear to be dozens of undescribed species in the US. Many of the species are difficult to rear and are only known from leaf or stem mines. North Carolina appears to have numerous undescribed species based on host preferences and mine characteristics. We have included forms that we believe are probably undescribed species (ca. 30) and have listed these by their host plants. We encourage individual to submit any leaf or stem mines that they find based on the plant hosts in order to better document the distribution and relative abundance of these forms in North Carolina.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Braun, 1909Technical Description, Immature Stages: Braun, 1909                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The following is primarily based on the description in Braun (1909) from specimens in Ohio. The head and face are silvery gray, except the vertex which has a few fuscous scales. The antenna is shining brownish gray. The labial palp is silvery white, with the apex of the second joint beneath somewhat roughened with dark brown scales, and the terminal joint with a dark brown annulation near the tip. The maxilary palp is dark blackish brown. The thorax is dark brown, and the ground color of the forewings dark brown and somewhat mottled with whitish scales. The markings are silvery white and somewhat variable. A silvery white basal fascia occurs at about one-third the wing length that is slightly broader on the dorsal margin. This is sometimes reduced to either a single dorsal spot, or two small costal and dorsal spots. A second fascia occurs near the middle of the wing that is narrowest in the middle and slightly bowed posteriorly. It is often interrupted in the middle to form a pair of triangular streaks, with the costal one slightly more anterior. This is followed by a pair of dorsal and costal streaks at about three-fourths that are roughly triangular, with the costal being the larger of the two. A final costal streak or spot is often evident near the apex, and there are often one or two curved whitish bars with black margins on the posterior edge at the wing tip. The fringe is white, and the hindwing grayish fuscous to dark brown. The legs are black with silvery annulations of varying widths. Specimens in the southern part of the range tend to be more mottled and to have the fascia and streaks reduced in size, often to only small dorsal and costal spots. BOLD specimens show two BINS, indicating significant genetic variation in this species.
Wingspan: 5.0-5.5 mm (Braun, 1909)
Immatures and Development: The larvae mine the leaves of Greenbrier (Smilax spp.) and produce silvery white linear mines that darken with age. The mine rarely exceed 2.5 mm in diameter and usually has a very long, winding course that often criss-crosses itself repeatedly. In many cases the mine may nearly cover the surface of a smaller leaf (Braun, 1909; Eiseman, 2019). A brownish, diffuse central frass line may be present, but is often absent or represented by broken fragments. The larva is flattened with serrated edges along the margin. It is initially pale, but turns bright red at maturity. The larva eventually exits the mine and spins a yellowish white cocoon with a group of iridescent globules at each end (Braun, 1909; Eiseman, 2019). Larvae in the final seasonal brood overwinter and emerge the following year after the spring warm-up. Mines in North Carolina are produced on both the upper and lower leaf surfaces, but more commonly on the upper surface.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Marmara smilacisella is found in the eastern US from Indiana, Ohio, and Maryland southward to Texas, Alabama, and Florida. This species occurs statewide in North Carolina.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Marmara smilacisellaAlamance 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.
Immature 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: immatures.
Flight Comments: There are very few adult records other than reared adults, so the flight season is rather poorly documented. Local populations appear to be bivoltine. Braun (1909) collected mines in Ohio in late August and the adults emerged in late September. A second generation occurs later and the adults overwinters as larvae (Eiseman, 2019). As of 2020, all of our records are based on leaf mines.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: This species feeds on several species of Greenbrier (Smilax). Smilax is common throughout the state in habitats ranging from bottomlands to dry ridges. Species are commonly encountered in pine, hardwood, and mixed-hardwood forests, in thickets and along woodland borders, and even in dune systems along the coast.
Larval Host Plants: The larvae are stenophagous on Smilax species. The documented hosts include Saw Greenbrier (S. bona-nox), Cat Greenbrier (S. glauca), Laurel Greenbrier (S. laurifolia), Common Greenbrier (S. rotundifolia), Lanceleaf Greenbrier (S. smallii), and Bristly Greeenbrier (S. hispida). We have mine records for all of these species in North Carolina. - View
Observation Methods: The adults appear to rarely visit lights and the great majority of records are based on leaf mines.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Greenbrier Tangles
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 widespread in the state and presumably more common than our limited records suggest due to a lack of effort to systematically survey leafminers throughout the state.

 Photo Gallery for Marmara smilacisella - None

77 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-02-04
Edgecombe Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-02-04
Martin Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-02-04
Tyrrell Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-02-04
Washington Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-01-30
Pitt Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-01-20
Greene Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-12-30
Beaufort Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-12-30
Dare Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-12-30
Dare Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-12-30
Hyde Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-12-08
Brunswick Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-12-08
Brunswick Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-12-08
Duplin Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-12-08
Sampson Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-12-01
Johnston Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-11-29
Greene Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-11-29
Pitt Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-11-26
Nash Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-11-22
Wilson Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: David George on 2024-10-29
Onslow Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: Mark Basinger, Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-09-21
Madison Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-08-26
Wilson Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: F. Williams, S. Williams on 2024-08-20
Gates Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: David George on 2024-07-20
Chatham Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2024-04-16
New Hanover Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: David George on 2024-03-24
Chatham Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: David George, Becky Watkins on 2024-03-03
Orange Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2023-12-13
Mecklenburg Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2023-12-13
Mecklenburg Co.
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Marmara smilacisellaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-10-29
Orange Co.
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