Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Gracillariidae Members:	Marmara Members:	6 NC Records

Marmara new species 3 - on Acer spp. (undescribed species) - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Family:
Gracillariidae

Subfamily:
Gracillariinae

Tribe:
[gracillariini]

P3 Number:
0.00

MONA Number:
718.04

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, and Tracy Feldman has spearheaded efforts to document these within the state. We have included Marmara that we believe are probably undescribed species (ca. 30) and have listed these by their host plants. We encourage individuals 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:

Adult Markings: This appears to be an undescribed species that uses maples other than Boxelder. As of 2024, the adults have not been reared and all records are based on the stem mines on maples.

Immatures and Development: The larvae are stem miners on maples, including Red Maple and Florida Maple. They produce long, winding or convoluted mines on the younger branches where the bark is relatively smooth.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution:

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

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Local populations are generally found in hardwood or mixed hardwood-pine forests that support Red Maple and Florida Maple.

Larval Host Plants: The larvae feed on maples, including Florida Maple (Acer floridanum) and Red Maple (A. rubrum).

Observation Methods: We recommend searching for the bark mines on maples. The adults should be reared, photographed and collected whenever possible.

Wikipedia

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks:

State Protection:

Comments:

Photo Gallery for Marmara new species 3 - on Acer spp. - No Common Name

Photos: 7

	Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-12-02 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-11-27 Madison Co. Comment: Mines were on a Red Maple sapling.
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-11-27 Madison Co. Comment: Mines were on a Red Maple sapling.		Recorded by: Tracy Feldman on 2017-05-09 Durham Co. Comment: Unoccupied mine was on Red Maple.
	Recorded by: Tracy Feldman on 2017-03-05 Durham Co. Comment: Unoccupied stem mine was on Acer floridanum.		Recorded by: Tracy Feldman on 2017-02-23 Scotland Co. Comment: Unoccupied stem mine was on Acer floridanum.
	Recorded by: Tracy Feldman on 2017-02-23 Scotland Co. Comment: Unoccupied stem mine was on Acer floridanum.