Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Gracillariidae Members:	Marmara Members:	62 NC Records

Marmara smilacisella (Chambers, 1875) - No Common Name

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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, BOLD

Technical Description, Adults: Braun, 1909

Technical 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.


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: 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.

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