Moths of North Carolina

Scientific Name:	Common Name:		Family (Alpha):

View PDF	Gracillariidae Members:	Cremastobombycia Members:	16 NC Records
Cremastobombycia solidaginis (Frey & Boll, 1878) - No Common Name

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Taxonomy

Superfamily: Gracillarioidea	Family: Gracillariidae	Subfamily: Lithocolletinae	Tribe: [Lithocolletini]	P3 Number: 330254.00	MONA Number: 723.00
Comments: The genus Cremastobombycia contains seven described species in North American, with at least seven undescribed species that are mostly in the western US (Eiseman, 2017).

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Beadle and Leckie (2012)	Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF	Technical Description, Adults: Braun, 1908	Technical Description, Immature Stages: Braun, 1908; Eiseman, 2019.
Adult Markings: The following is based on the description by Braun (1908). The antenna is grayish and distinctly annulated with dark brown. The face and palps are yellowish white, while the tuft is brownish ocherous with white along the sides. The ground color of the thorax and forewing is reddish ocherous. A white stripe on each side of the thorax continuous as a rather indistinct whitish basal streak on the forewing. The basal streak ends at about one-third, and is narrow and unmargined. There are four white costal streaks. The first two are posteriorly oblique and situated at one-third and at the middle of the wing length. The third is at two-thirds and is nearly perpendicular, while the fourth is just before the apex and inwardly oblique. All are dark margined on the posterior margin with dark brown that is often only faintly evident, or even missing, on some specimens. The margin of the last streak forms the dusting on the apex. There is a long, oblique dorsal streak that begins near the middle of the dorsal margin. Its dark margin usually unites with the dark margin of the second costal streak, and in some individuals the streaks themselves unite to form an angulated fascia. Opposite the third costal streak there is a very reduced oblique dorsal streak that is indicated by a slightly lighter shade and a few dark scales behind it. The fringe is ocherous and the marginal line in the cilia is brownish and indistinct. The hindwing and cilia are ocherous gray. The legs are whitish with ocherous banding and the tarsal joints are tipped with black. This species is superficially similar to C. ignota, and is most easily distinguished by the presence of the whitish basal streak on the forewing that ends at about one-third (much shorter in C. ignota), and by streaks that are less bold, with the dark scales confined to the posterior margin (on both margins in C. ignota).
Wingspan: 7-9 mm (Braun, 1908).
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The larva produce elongated blotch mines on the undersides of leaves. These initially are flat, but soon develop longitudinal wrinkles and become tentiform. The margin of the leaf is sometimes folded to form the tent. When viewed from the upper leaf surface, the mine appears as an elongated light yellowish or whitish mine with remnants of green tissue. The final instar spins a dense white cocoon within the mine that has very fine longitudinal ridges. The cocoon is suspended hammock-like by a single silken thread at one end and by two diverging threads at the other end (Braun, 1908; Eiseman, 2019). When the moth emerges, the pupal case is left protruding from the epidermis.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.

Distribution in North Carolina


Distribution: Cremastobombycia solidaginis is found in eastern North America in southern Canada (Ontario; Quebec) and throughout much of the eastern US. In the US, populations have been found from the northeastern states to as far west as Minnesota, and as far south as northern Florida and Oklahoma. As of 2022, we have scattered records from the lower elevations in the mountains to the 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
Flight Comments: Many local populations appear to have two broods per year, with a peak in August and a second in October. As of 2022, we have a record of a mine in the Coastal Plain as early as late June. However, most records for occupied mines and adults are from August through late October.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Local populations are dependent on goldenrods as hosts, particularly species that thrive in open, sunny habitats such as roadways, fence lines, open woods, old fields and infrequently mowed meadows.

Larval Host Plants: Goldenrods (Solidago spp.) are the primary hosts, but Eiseman (2019) noted one instance of the larvae using an aster (Symphyotrichum sp.). As of 2022, all of our leaf mine records are from goldenrods, including Tall Goldenrod (S. altissima) and Wrinkle-leaf Goldenrod (S. rugosa).

Observation Methods: The adults occasionally visit lights, but most of our records are based on leaf mines or adults that were reared from mines.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Successional Fields and Forblands

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S3S4

State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.

Comments: We currently do not have adequate information on the distribution and abundance of this species in North Carolina to assess its conservation status.

Photo Gallery for Cremastobombycia solidaginis - No common name		Photos: 19
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-10-27 Pender Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-10-27 Pender Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman on 2022-06-06 Durham Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman on 2022-06-06 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-04-29 Buncombe Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-10-14 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-10-11 Madison Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-11-09 Guilford Co. Comment: whitish basal streak is present.
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2020-10-26 Madison Co. Comment: Attracted to UV light.	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2020-10-06 Buncombe Co. Comment: An adult that was reared from Solidago sp. (see companion photo of the mine from 2020-10-01). The white streaks on this specimen are greatly reduced relative to typical specimens.
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2020-10-06 Buncombe Co. Comment: An adult that was reared from Solidago sp. (see companion photo of the mine from 2020-10-01).	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2020-10-01 Buncombe Co. Comment: Underside of a Solidago leaf with an occupied mine with a whitish cocoon inside. Note the longitudinal folds on the surface.
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2020-10-01 Buncombe Co. Comment: Upperside of a Solidago leaf with an occupied mine with a whitish cocoon inside.	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-08-18 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-10-28 Madison Co. Comment: A lower-surface, tentiform leaf mine on Tall Goldenrod (Solidago altissima).	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-10-28 Madison Co. Comment: A view of the leaf mine from the lower surface.
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-10-28 Madison Co. Comment: A mine on S. altissima that was dissected to reveal the spindle-shaped cocoon that is characteristic of this species.	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-09-02 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Harry Wilson on 2016-07-24 Wake Co. Comment:

Cremastobombycia solidaginis (Frey & Boll, 1878) - No Common Name

Photo Gallery for Cremastobombycia solidaginis - No common name

Photos: 19