Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Gracillariidae Members:	Marmara Members:	6 NC Records

Marmara new species 10 - on Benthamidia and Swida (undescribed species) - No Common Name

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Taxonomy

Family:
Gracillariidae

Subfamily:
Gracillariinae

Tribe:
[gracillariini]

P3 Number:
0.00

MONA Number:
718.11

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 mines the stems of dogwoods.

Immatures and Development: The larvae mine the younger stems of dogwoods (both Benthamidia and Swida) and produce elongated, whitish tracks with darker margins. These can be either elongated, winding mines as seen in many Marmara species, or mines that closely parallel an earlier track to produce a tightly packed oval mass.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: As of 2024 our records are from the eastern Piedmont and western Coastal Plain.

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

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Local populations are found where dogwoods abound, including stream and other wetland margins, mesic woods, and residential neighborhoods.

Larval Host Plants: The larvae specialize on dogwoods. As of 2024, we have records for Flowering Dogwood (Benthamidia florida [= Cornus florida]), Silky Dogwood (Swida amomum [= Cornus amomum]) and Gray Dogwood (S. racemosa [= Cornus racemosa]).

Observation Methods: We recommend searching for mines on the younger stems of Flowering Dogwood or other dogwoods. The adults should be reared, photographed and collected whenever possible.

Wikipedia

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR[SU]

State Protection:

Comments:

Photo Gallery for Marmara new species 10 - on Benthamidia and Swida - No common name

Photos: 5

	Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2025-08-18 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Tracy Feldman on 2022-11-04 Durham Co. Comment: Occupied mine was on Swida (Cornus) racemosa.
	Recorded by: Tracy Feldman on 2022-11-04 Durham Co. Comment: Occupied mine was on Swida (Cornus) racemosa.		Recorded by: Tracy Feldman on 2022-11-04 Durham Co. Comment: Occupied mine was on Swida (Cornus) racemosa.
	Recorded by: Tracy Feldman on 2019-08-05 Durham Co. Comment: Unoccupied mine was on Benthamidia (Cornus) florida.