Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Gracillariidae Members:	Cameraria Members:	7 NC Records

Cameraria conglomeratella (Zeller, 1875) - Conglomerate Oak Leafminer Moth

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Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Gracillarioidea

Family:
Gracillariidae

Subfamily:
Lithocolletinae

Tribe:
[Lithocolletini]

P3 Number:
33a0234

MONA Number:
816.00

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: Covell (1984)

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 is based primarily on that of Braun (1908). The thorax is saffron yellow to reddish brown, and on some specimens the dorsum may have a central whitish line. The upper head is similar, but somewhat lighter, and the face and palps are whitish. The antenna is closely annulated with brown, and the annulations often become obsolete toward the base. The ground color of the forewing is dull saffron yellow to reddish brown, and there are two short whitish, oblique, costal streaks just before and after the middle that are narrowly edged with black. A third short oblique costal streak is present near the apical fringe, but on some specimens may be masked by black dusting and represented as a series of small white spots. Along the dorsal margin, there is a narrow white streak that extends from the base to near the tornus. The streak often terminates or becomes indistinct before reaching the tornus. From there, it angles inward towards the third costal streak, and forms the inner margin of an extensive area of black apical dusting. Extensive black dusting is also often present from the tip of the second costal streak towards the apex. The cilia are yellowish gray, and the fringe often has a somewhat faint darker band through the middle region. The fore and middle tarsi are white and spotted with black, while the hind tarsi is mostly white. The hindwings are gray with lighter cilia. Braun (1908) noted that the amount of dark dusting in the apical third of the forewing is variable and in some individuals is poorly developed. In others it may be so extensive that it obscures to varying degrees the deflexed dorso-basal streak that extends from the tornus.

Cameraria conglomeratella resembles C. ulmella, but the latter is smaller, has a paler ground color on the forewings, has costal streaks that are slightly more oblique, and has dark annulations on the antenna that are restricted to the apical two-thirds. In C. conglomeratella the annulations extend along the entire length, although they are sometimes indistinct toward the base (Braun, 1908). This species is also closely resembles C. quercivorella, but the dorso-basal white streak on C. quercivorella extends only a short distance beyond the middle of the wing to produce a reddish gap between the dorso-basal streak and the oblique dorsal white streak.

Wingspan: 7.5-9 mm (Braun, 1908)

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

Immatures and Development: The larvae mine the leaves of oaks and produce yellowish to brownish upper-surface mines. The frass is rather diffuse and is deposited centrally and away from the edges. Mines that we examined from Scotland Co. and Columbus Co. had blackish frass that was deposited centrally on the bottom of the mine. Most of the mines lacked a conspicuous crease. The larvae are blackish and pupate in the mine beneath a flat and nearly circular silken cocoon (Braun, 1908).

Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Cameraria conglomeratella is found in the eastern US from New Jersey to as far south as Florida, and westward to southern Wisconsin, Illinois, Oklahoma and Texas. As of 2021, our records are from xeric habitats in the Sandhills and vicinity.

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: The adults have been documented from March through December in Florida. Elsewhere, they show evidence of being bivoltine except in the northernmost areas of the range, with the first brood in March through June, and the second in August through October. As of 2022, we have three rearing records, with the adult emerging in early April, early June and early to mid-October.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: The larvae feed on oaks, including species that inhabit mesic to dry forest communities. As of 2022, our three records are all from xeric sites with oaks.

Larval Host Plants: The documented hosts include White Oak (Quercus alba), Swamp White Oak (Q. bicolor), Blackjack Oak (Q. marilandica), Post Oak (Q. stellata), and Live Oak (Q. virginiana) (Eiseman, 2022). In North Carolina, we have records from Blackjack Oak, Post Oak, and Darlington Oak (Q. hemisphaerica). - View

Observation Methods: The adults appear to only occasionally visit lights and are best obtained by rearing larvae.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Dry-Xeric Hardwood Forests

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S2S4

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

Comments: As of 2022, we have only three records of this species from the state. More information is needed on its distribution and abundance before we can assess its conservation status.

Photo Gallery for Cameraria conglomeratella - Conglomerate Oak Leafminer Moth

Photos: 17

	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2024-04-17 New Hanover Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn on 2023-03-28 New Hanover Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-04-04 Columbus Co. Comment: A reared adult from Quercus hemisphaerica; larvae on March 18, 2022; three adults emerged on April 4, 2022 (see companion photos of the mines).		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-04-04 Columbus Co. Comment: A reared adult from Quercus hemisphaerica; larvae on March 18, 2022; three adults emerged on April 4, 2022 (see companion photos of the mines).
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-03-18 Columbus Co. Comment: Two occupied mines on Quercus hemisphaerica; adults emerged on April 4, 2022 (see companion photos).		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-03-18 Columbus Co. Comment: A backlit leaf with two occupied mines on Quercus hemisphaerica; adults emerged on April 4, 2022 (see companion photos).
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-10-11 Scotland Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-10-11 Scotland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-10-11 Scotland Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-10-11 Scotland Co. Comment: Occupied mines were common on Post Oak along Chalk Banks access road on 30 Sept; adults were reared and emerged Oct 11-12.
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-10-11 Scotland Co. Comment: Occupied mines were common on Post Oak along Chalk Banks access road on 30 Sept; adults were reared and emerged Oct 11-12 and Oct 15.		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-09-30 Scotland Co. Comment: Occupied mines were common on Post Oak along the access road; adults emerged on Oct 11-12.
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-09-30 Scotland Co. Comment: Occupied mines were common on Post Oak along the access road; adults emerged on Oct 11-12.		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2021-06-08 Richmond Co. Comment: One of several early mines on Blackjack Oak; two adults emerged on 2 July (see companion photo of one).
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2021-06-08 Richmond Co. Comment: A reared adult from a mine on Blackjack Oak (see companion photo).		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2021-06-08 Richmond Co. Comment: One of several early mines on Blackjack Oak; two adults emerged on 2 July (see companion photo of one). Note the larva in the center of the image.
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2021-06-08 Richmond Co. Comment: Mines were collected from Blackjack Oak on 8 June; two adults emerged on 2 July.