Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Gracillariidae Members:	Cameraria Members:	19 NC Records

Cameraria corylisella Chambers, 1871 - Hazel Blotchminer Moth

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Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Gracillarioidea

Family:
Gracillariidae

Subfamily:
Lithocolletinae

P3 Number:
33a0235

MONA Number:
817.00

Comments: This is one of over 50 Cameraria species that have been described from North America.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions:

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

Technical Description, Adults: Braun (1908); Eiseman (2017)

Adult Markings: The forewings of the adults have a light tawny ground color that is overlain with three narrow white bands that are edged on the posterior margin with black. The subterminal band is broken, and there is a small white spot with a black edge near the apex. Cameraria corylisella and C. ostryarella are very closely related and are often difficult to distinguish from each other (Eiseman 2017). Cameraria ostryarella closely resembles C. corylisella, but according to Braun (1908) the later lacks the brownish dusting on the apical third of the wing. However, this does not seem to be the case for North Carolina specimens where both species lack apical dusting. A better trait is the dorsal streak at about three-fourths that tends to be strongly oblique in C. ostryarella. In C. corylisella the dorsal streak is nearly erect and runs nearly parallel to the mid-wing fascia. However, there are occasional exceptions to this general rule. Cameraria aceriella is also similar, but lacks the marginal line in the cilia. Raising adults from leaf mines on hazelnuts is definitive since C. corylisella appears to only use Corylus, while C. ostryarella uses Carpinus and Ostrya.

Wingspan: 6.5-7.0 mm (Braun 1908)

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

Immatures and Development: The larvae mine the leaves of hazelnuts. Each mine contains a single larva that can be easily observed by examining a backlit leaf. The larvae produce upper surface blotch mines that are more or less circular in shape with irregular borders. The center is dark brownish yellow and is surrounded by a white to pale yellow border. Populations appear to be bivoltine (Eiseman 2017), and larvae from the last seasonal brood pupate and overwinter inside of the dried leaves. The adult emerge following the spring warm-up.

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

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Scattered records for this species occur from Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Maine, southward to Wisconsin, Illinois and Kentucky (Pohl et al. 2018). Cameraria corylisella was only recently detected in North Carolina. As of 2022, populations have been found in the mountains and western Piedmont, with one record from the eastern Piedmont. Populations in North Carolina are likely restricted to the Blue Ridge and Piedmont provinces since our native hazelnut species -- which are the primary hosts -- are only rarely found in 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: Almost no data is available on the flight season for North Carolina populations. The adults from areas outside of North Carolina are generally active from April through September, with a peak during the mid-summer months. As of 2022, we have observed mines in the mountains from June through late September. There appear to be two broods, with larvae overwintering in the mines and the adults of the first brood emerging with the spring warm-up.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: This species primarily uses hazelnuts as hosts and local populations mostly occur where hazelnuts are present. Our two native species of hazelnuts occur in a wide variety of habitats that range from dry, rocky ridge tops and woods (Corylus cornuta) to more mesic forests, stream edges and even swamps (C. americana). Hazelnuts often thrive where there are open woods or thickets.

Larval Host Plants: Cameraria corylisella is a rather specialized leafminer that uses both Beaked Hazelnut (Corylus cornuta) and American Hazelnut (C. americana). It also uses American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana), but apparently relatively rarely in North Carolina. As of 2024, we have rearing records for both species of hazelnuts and American Hornbeam. - View

Observation Methods: Local populations are most easily located by searching for the distinctive leaf mines that occur on hazelnut leaves. The adults appear to only occasionally come to lights.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Corylaceous Thickets and Understories

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S2S4

State Protection:

Comments: North Carolina is at the southernmost range limit of Cameraria corylisella. This species was only recently discovered in North Carolina and we have only 10 records as of 2022. The previous southernmost records were from Kentucky. We are uncertain to what extent the scarcity of records for NC reflects this species being overlooked in the past. Without more information on the distribution, frequency of occurrence, and population trends of this species we cannot currently make any meaningful estimate of its conservation status.

Photo Gallery for Cameraria corylisella - Hazel Blotchminer Moth

Photos: 30

	Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Bo Sullivan and Becky Elkin on 2024-04-27 Macon Co. Comment: Adult was reared from a mine on American Hazelnut; mine on Sept 15, 2023; adult emerged on April 27, 2024 after overwintering in outdoor garage.		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Bo Sullivan and Becky Elkin on 2024-04-27 Macon Co. Comment: Adult was reared from a mine on American Hazelnut; mine on Sept 15, 2023; adult emerged on April 27, 2024 after overwintering in outdoor garage.
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Bo Sullivan and Becky Elkin on 2023-09-15 Macon Co. Comment: An occupied mine on American Hazelnut (adult reared).		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Bo Sullivan and Becky Elkin on 2023-09-15 Macon Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Bo Sullivan and Becky Elkin on 2023-09-15 Macon Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-09-13 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2023-08-31 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-03-20 Caldwell Co. Comment: Mines on Sept 15, 2022; adult emerged on March 20, 2023 after overwintering in refrigerator.
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-03-20 Caldwell Co. Comment: Mines on Sept 15, 2022; adult emerged on March 20, 2023 after overwintering in refrigerator.		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2022-09-25 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2022-09-25 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2022-09-25 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-09-15 Caldwell Co. Comment: Occupied mines were on American Hazelnut.		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-09-15 Caldwell Co. Comment: Occupied mines were on American Hazelnut.
	Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-05-26 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-05-26 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-05-21 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2021-08-22 Burke Co. Comment: Mines on American Hazelnut.
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2021-08-22 Burke Co. Comment: Mines on American Hazelnut.		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-07-22 Cherokee Co. Comment: Unoccupied mine was on Beaked Hazelnut.
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-06-15 Madison Co. Comment: Occupied mine was on Beaked Hazelnut (Corylus cornuta)		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-06-15 Madison Co. Comment: Occupied mine was on Beaked Hazelnut (Corylus cornuta)
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-07-10 Madison Co. Comment: An adult that was reared from a mine on Beaked Hazelnut (Corylus cornutus). Mine was collected on 20 June; adult emerged on 10 July.		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-07-10 Madison Co. Comment: An adult that was reared from a mine on Beaked Hazelnut (Corylus cornutus). Mine was collected on 20 June; adult emerged on 10 July.
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2020-06-25 Buncombe Co. Comment: On American Hazelnut (Corylus americana)		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2020-06-25 Buncombe Co. Comment: Underside of leaf of American Hazelnut (Corylus americana).
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-06-20 Madison Co. Comment: An active blotch mine on Beaked Hazelnut (Corylus cornuta).		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-08-25 Madison Co. Comment: An upper surface blotch mine on Beaked Hazelnut (Corylus cornuta). Note the larva in the upper right region of the mine (see companion photo of the larva).
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-08-25 Madison Co. Comment: A larva that was removed from a surface mine.		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2019-08-11 Madison Co. Comment: Three blotch mines on beaked hazelnut (Corylus cornuta). Each mine had a single larva.