Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Gracillariidae Members:	Cremastobombycia Members:	32 NC Records

Cremastobombycia ignota (Frey & Boll, 1873) - No Common Name

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Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Gracillarioidea

Family:
Gracillariidae

Subfamily:
Lithocolletinae

P3 Number:
33a0278

MONA Number:
722.00

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions:

Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD

Technical Description, Adults: Braun, 1908.

Technical Description, Immature Stages: Braun, 1908.

Adult Markings: The following description of the adults is based primarily on Braun (1908). The antenna is brownish gray with darker annulations. The head tuft is reddish saffron and intermixed with white. The ground color of the thorax and forewing is deep reddish saffron. A fine white line extends along each side of the thorax, then continues as an indistinct and short basal silvery streak. At the basal fourth of the wing is an oblique silvery costal streak with a black margin that is most pronounced on the posterior edge. At the middle of the wing is a silvery fascia, varying from nearly straight to acutely angled. In the former case the fascia tends to be relatively broad and strongly margined posteriorly with black. Black scaling is also often evident on the anterior edge near the costal half. In those specimens having a distinctly angulated fascia, the fascia tends to be narrower, and sometimes interrupted at the angle. The posterior black margin is often less distinct, and the dark margin on the anterior edge is reduced or missing. At the apical third are two opposite, perpendicularly placed, silvery streaks. These are strongly black margined posteriorly, and less so anteriorly. Just before the apex is an outwardly concave silvery costal streak with a black posterior margin. This streak can sometimes extend to the dorsal margin. The cilia is slightly paler than the wing ground color. The hindwings and cilia are brownish gray, while the legs are fuscous with black and white bands on the tarsi.

Wingspan: Expanse 6.5-7.5 mm (Braun, 1908)

Genitalia and other structural photos

Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.

Immatures and Development: The larvae produce lower-surface, tentiform blotch mines that are rather conspicuous (generally < 3 cm in length). The mines are often formed between two major veins, and tend to be roughly rectangular or triangular in shape. In the later stages, the loosened epidermis becomes wrinkled and the mine is visible on the upper surface as a swelling or tentiform structure that is lighter colored than the surrounding tissue. The larva is initially pale, but becomes dark brown just before pupation. The final instar spins a dense white to tan cocoon that has longitudinal ridges. The elongated cocoon is suspended in the mine at each end by two silken threads (Braun, 1908; Eiseman, 2019).

Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: The range of Cremastobombycia ignota is rather poorly documented, but scattered populations have been found from Maine and vicinity westward to Iowa and Oklahoma. Populations extend from Maine south and southwestward to Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina and Texas. In North Carolina, our limited records as of 2020 are from the lower mountains and the eastern Piedmont.

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:

Larval Host Plants: Cremastobombycia ignota feeds on several members of the Asteraceae. The most common hosts appear to be species of Verbesina, including V. alternifolia, V. occidentalis, and V. virginica. Other known hosts include Elephantopus carolinianus, Helianthus giganteus, and Rudbeckia hirta (Braun, 1908; Eiseman, 2019). In North Carolina, all of our records as of 2024 are from Wingstem (Verbesina alternifolia) and Yellow Crownbeard (V. occidentalis). - View

Observation Methods: The adults appear to rarely visit lights, and are best obtained by rearing them from mines. The mines are rather conspicuous on Verbesina; we recommend searching for them during the summer months.

Wikipedia

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks:

State Protection:

Comments: As of 2020, we have only a few records for this species in the state, and all are based on leaf mines or adults raised from mines. The species is probably locally common and widespread in North Carolina, but poorly documents as is the case for many leafminers.

Photo Gallery for Cremastobombycia ignota - None

71 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2025-11-02 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2025-11-02 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Jim Petranka on 2025-10-17 Madison Co. Comment: Verbesina alternifolia was host plant. Blotch mine had cocoon present.		Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Jim Petranka on 2025-10-17 Madison Co. Comment: Verbesina alternifolia was host plant. Blotch mine had cocoon present.
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2025-10-13 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2025-10-13 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2025-10-13 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-10-11 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-10-11 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-10-04 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-10-04 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-10-04 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson on 2025-09-18 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson on 2025-09-18 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson on 2025-09-18 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2025-02-24 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2025-02-24 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2024-11-03 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2024-11-03 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2024-11-03 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-21 Buncombe Co. Comment: Unoccupied mines were on Verbesina alternifolia .		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-21 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2024-09-21 Madison Co. Comment: Occupied mines were on Verbesina occidentalis.		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2024-09-21 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Tracy Feldman on 2024-06-21 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Tracy Feldman on 2024-06-21 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-09-11 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-09-11 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-09-04 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-09-04 Orange Co. Comment: