Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGracillariidae Members: Cameraria Members: 2 NC Records

Cameraria arcuella (Braun, 1908) - No Common Name

Cameraria arcuella
Taxonomy
Family:
Gracillariidae		P3 Number:
33a0224		 MONA Number:
807.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Braun (1908).                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Cameraria arcuella is a relatively large Cameraria, with a wingspan of around 10 mm. It has a reddish-orange forewing that has three pairs of large costal and dorsal white spots, with the second pair uniting to form an angulated fascia. The following detailed description is based in part on that of Braun (1908) and from barcoded specimens on BOLD. The antenna is pale with brown annulations and the palps are silvery white. The face is silvery white with a slight golden tinge, and the head tuft yellowish and mixed with orange at the sides. The thorax and forewing are shining reddish-orange with glistening white markings, including a longitudinal streak on each side of the thorax.

The forewing has three large costal and dorsal white spots that are margined with black scales outwardly, as well as a final, concave streak near the apex that is greatly reduced in size. The first costal spot at the basal third is short and broad, and the second pair near the middle is united to form an outwardly angulated fascia. The first dorsal spot begins nearer to the base than the first costal, and extends half way across the wing. Third costal streak is arcuate and opposite the more triangular third dorsal streak. A greatly reduced, concave, fourth streak is present near the apex and is heavily margined with black scales outwardly. The fringe is golden with a brownish marginal line, while the hindwing is bronzy gray with gray cilia. The tarsi on the forelegs are boldly marked with white and dark-brown to blackish bands, while the other legs are ocherous with unmarked whitish tarsi.
Wingspan: 8-10 mm (Braun, 1908; Eiseman, 2022).
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The larvae appear to specialize on oaks and produce blotch mines. The mature mines are brown and have a series of wrinkles on the underside of the leaf. Records of occupied mines and adults (BOLD) suggest that there are two broods produced each year, with the larvae in the last brood overwintering in the mines on fallen leaves.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: The distribution of C. arcuella is poorly documented due to the scarcity of records, but it appears to be associated with rich deciduous forests in the eastern US and adjoining areas of southern Canada. BOLD, MPG and iNat records include specimens from Ontario, Quebec, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Maine, Virginia, eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. Eiseman (2022) also reported what appears to be this species from Massachusetts. As of 2025, our two records are both from middle-elevational forests in the Blue Ridge.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Cameraria arcuellaAlamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey
Flight Dates:
High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
Piedmont (Pd)
Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: adults.
Flight Comments: The flight season is poorly documented. The adults have been taken in June and July and again in September and October, which suggests that two broods are produced annually, with the final brood overwintering in the blotch mine. As of 2025, our two records are from late-June and early-July.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: This species is generally associated with rich, mesic hardwood forests.
Larval Host Plants: The larvae appear to specialize on oaks, and probably only on members of the red oak group. The known hosts include Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra; BOLD) and possibly Bear Oak (Q. ilicifolia; Eiseman, 2022). - View
Observation Methods: We recommend seeking out the mines on oaks and rearing the adults.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S2S3]
State Protection:
Comments: This species appears to be uncommon throughout its range and may reach its southern limit in the Blue Ridge of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. As of 2025, we have only two records for the state, and both are from mid- to higher-elevation forests.

 Photo Gallery for Cameraria arcuella - None

Photos: 1
Cameraria arcuella
Recorded by: J. B. Sullivan on 2021-07-10
Ashe Co.
Comment: Wingspan slightly over 9 mm.