Moths of North Carolina
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60 NC Records

Cameraria caryaefoliella (Clemens, 1859) - Pecan Leafminer Moth


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Taxonomy
Superfamily: Gracillarioidea Family: GracillariidaeSubfamily: LithocolletinaeTribe: [Lithocolletini]P3 Number: 330348.00 MONA Number: 811.00
Comments: Cameraria is a genus of leaf-mining micromoths. Many species are stenophagous and specialize on a small number of closely related host species. There are currently more than 50 described species in North America.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Clemens, 1860.Technical Description, Immature Stages: Braun, 1908.                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The following is based in part on Clemens' (1860) original description. The antenna is silvery with black annulations. The face is silvery and the tuft and thorax reddish orange. The forewings are reddish orange with three curved, silvery bands that have black margins on the posterior margin (these are sometimes interrupted, with the pairs referred to as costal and dorsal streaks by some authors). The second band is near the middle of the wing and is angulated near the costa. The first band is about midway between the second band and the base of the forewing, is angulated, and is sometimes interrupted. The third band is often interrupted in the middle and is about the same distance from the second band as is the first band. The dorsal portions (streaks) of all three bands run parallel to one another. The apical portion of the wing is whitish, but covered with dispersed black markings. There are two marginal lines - one black at the apical margin, and the second brownish in the cilia. The hindwing is pale brownish gray. Braun (1908) noted that the adults vary greatly in the distinctness of the bands and the degree of dark dusting, and that the first band often does not extend to the costa. Cameraria guttifinitella is similar, but the bands are straight rather than curved as in C. caryaefoliella. The larva is dorso-ventrally depressed (almost flat), with the sides of the segments projecting outward to give the larva a beaded appearance.
Wingspan: 6-7 mm (Braun, 1908).
Immatures and Development: Larvae mine the upper sides of leaves where they make flat, whitish to brown mines. A larva initially forms a pale green, linear mine. This may either gradually widen into a blotch, or rapidly become a blotch or linear blotch that sometimes obliterates the initial linear portion. When there is a single larva in a leaflet, the mine forms a broad tract up to 15 mm wide (Eiseman, 2019). Where there are more than one larva in a leaflet, the mines often become confluent and the larvae feed communally. Larvae feed from the center outward, and the dark, liquid frass is deposited centrally. Pupation is in a flat, oval, densely woven, white silk cocoon (Braun, 1908; Eiseman, 2019).

Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Cameraria caryaefoliella is widely distributed across much of the eastern US and adjoining areas of southern Canada. Populations occur as far south as Florida, to as far west as central Texas, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin. It occurs in all three physiographic provinces in North Carolina, but is most commonly encountered in the Piedmont and lower elevations in the mountains.
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: Local populations appear to be bivoltine or multivoltine, with adults first becoming active in North Carolina during May or later. Larvae from the last brood appear to overwinter in fallen leaves and pupate the following spring or early summer.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: The larvae are specialists on hickories and walnuts, and are found through the state where the hosts occur. Habitats range from alluvial forests and stream edges to upland hardwood forests.
Larval Host Plants: Eiseman (2019) lists the following documented hosts: Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis), Pignut Hickory (C. glabra), Pecan (C. illinoensis), Shagbark Hickory (C. ovata), Black Hickory (C. texana), Mockernut Hickory (C. tomentosa), Black Walnut (Juglans nigra), and Butternut (J. cinerea). As of 2022, we have records from Pecan, Bitternut Hickory, Mockernut Hickory, Pignut Hickory and Shagbark Hickory, along with one record from Black Walnut.
Observation Methods: Local populations are easily documented by searching for the conspicuous leaf mines, and the adults are relatively easy to rear from the mines. The adults are also attracted to lights.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Oak-Hickory Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S4S5
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Cameraria caryaefoliella - Pecan Leafminer Moth

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

Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn on 2023-08-12
Caswell Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin and Bo Sullivan on 2023-08-08
Wilkes Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin and Bo Sullivan on 2023-08-08
Wilkes Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2023-06-06
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2023-06-06
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2023-05-28
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-05-23
New Hanover Co.
Comment: unoccupied mines on Carya sp.		Recorded by: David George on 2023-05-17
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George on 2023-05-03
Wayne Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-03-23
Rutherford Co.
Comment: An adult that was reared from Pignut Hickory; mine on Oct 21, 2022; adult on March 23, 2023 after overwintering in a refrigerator (see companion photo of the mine from 2022-10-21).
Recorded by: David George on 2022-11-01
Durham Co.
Comment: occupied mine on Carya sp.		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-10-21
Rutherford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-10-21
Rutherford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Jim George on 2022-10-12
Orange Co.
Comment: unoccupied mine on Carya glabra
Recorded by: David George, Jim George on 2022-10-12
Orange Co.
Comment: unoccupied mine on Carya glabra		Recorded by: David George, Becky Watkins on 2022-10-09
Durham Co.
Comment: occupied mine on C. glabra
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-09-13
Rutherford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George on 2022-09-12
Wake Co.
Comment: unoccupied mine on Carya sp.
Recorded by: David George on 2022-09-12
Wake Co.
Comment: unoccupied mine on Carya sp.		Recorded by: David George on 2022-09-05
Orange Co.
Comment: unoccupied mine on Carya sp.
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-08-25
Clay Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-08-25
Clay Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-07-24
Montgomery Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-07-15
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-07-13
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-07-13
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-07-13
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-07-11
Henderson Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-06-18
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-06-13
Guilford Co.
Comment: