Moths of North Carolina
Home Page
Recent Entries
Recent Account Updates
County Searches
General Search
Submit a Public Record
Larval Hosts
References
Maps
Draft Checklists
Family PDFs
NC Biodiversity Project
Significant Contributors
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Family (Alpha):
ACROLEPIIDAE-
ADELIDAE-
AMPHISBATIDAE-
AUTOSTICHIDAE-
BATRACHEDRIDAE-
BEDELLIIDAE-
BLASTOBASIDAE-
BOMBYCIDAE-
BUCCULATRICIDAE-
CARPOSINIDAE-
CHOREUTIDAE-
COLEOPHORIDAE-
COSMOPTERIGIDAE-
COSSIDAE-
CRAMBIDAE-
DEPRESSARIIDAE-
DREPANIDAE-
ELACHISTIDAE-
EPERMENIIDAE-
EPIPYROPIDAE-
EREBIDAE-Erebid Moths
ERIOCRANIIDAE-
EUTELIIDAE-
GALACTICIDAE-
GELECHIIDAE-
GEOMETRIDAE-
GLYPHIDOCERIDAE-
GLYPHIPTERIGIDAE-
GRACILLARIIDAE-
HELIOZELIDAE-
HEPIALIDAE-
HYBLAEIDAE-
INCURVARIIDAE-
LASIOCAMPIDAE-
LECITHOCERIDAE-Long-horned Moths
LIMACODIDAE-
LYONETIIDAE-
MEGALOPYGIDAE-Flannel Moths
MICROPTERIGIDAE-
MIMALLONIDAE-
MOMPHIDAE-Mompha Moths
NEPTICULIDAE-
NOCTUIDAE-Owlet Moths
NOLIDAE-
NOTODONTIDAE-
OECOPHORIDAE-
OPOSTEGIDAE-
PELEOPODIDAE-
PLUTELLIDAE-
PRODOXIDAE-
PSYCHIDAE-Bagworm Moths
PTEROPHORIDAE-
PYRALIDAE-
SATURNIIDAE-Saturniids
SCHRECKENSTEINIIDAE-
SESIIDAE-
SPHINGIDAE-Sphinx Moths
THYATIRIDAE-
THYRIDIDAE-
TINEIDAE-
TISCHERIIDAE-
TORTRICIDAE-
URANIIDAE-
URODIDAE-
XYLORYCTIDAE-
YPONOMEUTIDAE-
YPSOLOPHIDAE-
ZYGAENIDAE-
«
Home
»
View
PDF
Gracillariidae Members:
Acrocercops albinatella
Acrocercops astericola
Acrocercops unidentified species
Anarsioses aberrans
Caloptilia alnivorella
Caloptilia azaleella
Caloptilia bimaculatella
Caloptilia blandella
Caloptilia cornusella
Caloptilia coroniella
Caloptilia flavella
Caloptilia glutinella
Caloptilia hypericella
Caloptilia invariabilis
Caloptilia juglandiella
Caloptilia negundella
Caloptilia ostryaeella
Caloptilia packardella
Caloptilia porphyretica
Caloptilia rhoifoliella
Caloptilia sassafrasella
Caloptilia serotinella
Caloptilia stigmatella
Caloptilia superbifrontella
Caloptilia triadicae
Caloptilia umbratella
Caloptilia unidentified species
Caloptilia violacella
Cameraria aceriella
Cameraria aesculisella
Cameraria arcuella
Cameraria bethunella
Cameraria betulivora
Cameraria caryaefoliella
Cameraria castaneaeella
Cameraria cincinnatiella
Cameraria conglomeratella
Cameraria corylisella
Cameraria fletcherella
Cameraria guttifinitella
Cameraria hamadryadella
Cameraria hamameliella
Cameraria lentella
Cameraria macrocarpella
Cameraria obstrictella
Cameraria ostryarella
Cameraria picturatella
Cameraria quercivorella
Cameraria saccharella
Cameraria tubiferella
Cameraria ulmella
Cameraria unidentified species
Chrysaster ostensackenella
Cremastobombycia ignota
Cremastobombycia solidaginis
Cremastobombycia unidentified species
Cryptolectica strigosa
Leucanthiza amphicarpeaefoliella
Leucospilapteryx unidentified species
Leucospilapteryx venustella
Macrosaccus morrisella
Macrosaccus robiniella
Macrosaccus uhlerella
Marmara apocynella
Marmara fasciella
Marmara fraxinicola
Marmara serotinella
Marmara smilacisella
Marmara unidentified species
Marmara viburnella
Micrurapteryx salicifoliella
Neurobathra strigifinitella
New genus and species near Neurobathra
Parectopa lespedezaefoliella
Parectopa pennsylvaniella
Parectopa plantaginisella
Parectopa robiniella
Parectopa unidentified species
Parornix geminatella
Parornix obliterella
Parornix preciosella
Parornix unidentified species
Parornix vicinella
Phyllocnistis ampelopsiella
Phyllocnistis hyperpersea
Phyllocnistis insignis
Phyllocnistis liquidambarisella
Phyllocnistis liriodendronella
Phyllocnistis subpersea
Phyllocnistis unidentified species
Phyllocnistis vitegenella
Phyllocnistis vitifoliella
Phyllonorycter aeriferella
Phyllonorycter albanotella
Phyllonorycter argentifimbriella
Phyllonorycter argentinotella
Phyllonorycter auronitens
Phyllonorycter basistrigella
Phyllonorycter caryaealbella
Phyllonorycter celtifoliella
Phyllonorycter celtisella
Phyllonorycter crataegella
Phyllonorycter diversella
Phyllonorycter fitchella
Phyllonorycter intermixta
Phyllonorycter lucetiella
Phyllonorycter lucidicostella
Phyllonorycter maestingella
Phyllonorycter mariaeella
Phyllonorycter martiella
Phyllonorycter obscuricostella
Phyllonorycter occitanica
Phyllonorycter ostryaefoliella
Phyllonorycter propinquinella
Phyllonorycter quercialbella
Phyllonorycter salicifoliella
Phyllonorycter scudderella
Phyllonorycter tiliacella
Phyllonorycter trinotella
Phyllonorycter unidentified species
Porphyrosela desmodiella
Porphyrosela minuta
Porphyrosela unidentified species
Povolnya quercinigrella
Telamoptilia hibiscivora
Cameraria
Members:
Cameraria aceriella
Cameraria aesculisella
Cameraria arcuella
Cameraria bethunella
Cameraria betulivora
Cameraria caryaefoliella
Cameraria castaneaeella
Cameraria cincinnatiella
Cameraria conglomeratella
Cameraria corylisella
Cameraria fletcherella
Cameraria guttifinitella
Cameraria hamadryadella
Cameraria hamameliella
Cameraria lentella
Cameraria macrocarpella
Cameraria obstrictella
Cameraria ostryarella
Cameraria picturatella
Cameraria quercivorella
Cameraria saccharella
Cameraria tubiferella
Cameraria ulmella
Cameraria unidentified species
14 NC Records
Cameraria hamadryadella
(Clemens, 1859) - Solitary Oak Leafminer Moth
view caption
A White Oak with three mines.
view caption
A backlit mine on White Oak; note the dark frass and feeding larva.
view caption
A reared adult; Davidson County.
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Gracillarioidea
Family:
Gracillariidae
Subfamily:
Lithocolletinae
Tribe:
[Lithocolletini]
P3 Number:
330361.00
MONA Number:
823.00
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 Photographs:
MPG
,
BugGuide
,
iNaturalist
,
Google
,
BAMONA
,
GBIF
,
BOLD
Adult Markings:
The following description of the adults is based on Braun (1908). The antennae are white with dark annulations. The face and thorax are white, while the tuft is white mixed with gray. The forewing is white, with two angulated, shining, ocherous fasciae. The first is just before the basal third and is margined internally with dispersed blackish scales. The second is just behind the middle and margined internally with dispersed scales which are produced in the middle, dividing it into two parts. In the space between the fasciae are a few scattered ocherous scales and an irregular line of blackish scales through the middle. Near the apex is a costal and a dorsal ocherous patch that sometimes meet. The space between them and the second fascia is more or less marked with a line of irregular dark dusting, and separated from each other by a more or less dense cloud of dusting that is sometimes connected with the margining of the second fascia. The apical portion is white, mixed with ocherous, and densely dusted with black scales connected with the line separating the costal and dorsal ocherous patches. The basal third of the wing is whitish and more or less dusted with black and marked with ocherous. There is also a small patch of black scales on the costa near the base, followed by a black dusting that is sometimes arranged into two irregular bands upon an ocherous ground, of which the more basal one is the broader. The apical cilia are tinged with saffron and have a marginal line of blackish scales. The hindwings and cilia are gray. The legs are white, with the tibiae and tarsi spotted with black.
Cameraria hamadryadella
is distinctive among
Cameraria
in the eastern US in having forewings with a white ground color. This is most evident in the basal third of the wings.
Wingspan:
Expanse 6.5-8.5 mm., the usual size about 8 mm (Braun, 1908).
Adult ID Requirements:
Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development:
Females lay their eggs singly on the upper surface of leaves and the hatchlings bore into the leaf epidermis and begin mining (Conner and Beck, 1993). Each larva eventually forms an irregular whitish blotch mine on the upper surface of the leaf. Mature mines that we have observed in North Carolina were elongated blotches and often had one or more side branches. The frass was place in a broad region away from the mine margins. The mature larvae pupate within the leaf, and the adult punctures the leaf surface and emerges. Larvae in the last seasonal brood overwinter in the leaf litter and the adults emerge the following spring.
Conner and Beck (1993) conducted a long-term study of population dynamics in a Virginia population that fed on White Oak. Populations periodically had population explosions where leaves averaged 22 larvae per leaf, compared with <1 larva per leaf in other years. During population irruptions, almost all leaves had at least one mine and one as high as 193 mines. Trees during these years suffered significant defoliation. Fewer than 1% of the larvae survived to become adults. Major sources of mortality were parasitism, predation by birds, host resistance, and intraspecific competition.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
Cameraria hamadryadella
occurs throughout much of the eastern US and southern Canada, including British Columbia, Manitoba, and Quebec. Populations occur as far south as Florida and Texas. Braun (1908) noted that this species is very common throughout the Atlantic States, and Conner and Beck (1993) observed population irruptions in the Piedmont of Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, and New Jersey. We have relatively few records for North Carolina, even though the primary host species (White Oak) iscommon in most areas of the state.
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:
Populations are bivoltine in most areas, but have three generations per year in northern Florida near the southern limit of the range.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Populations are strongly dependent of White Oak, which is found throughout the state in a variety of habitats such as hardwood forests, suburban neighborhoods, and pastures with scattered shade trees.
Larval Host Plants:
Cameraria hamadryadella
primarily uses White Oak (
Quercus alba
) as its host. It has occasionally been observed using other hosts, including Hop Hornbeam (
Ostrya virginiana
) around Cincinnati, magnolias in the District of Columbia, and Northern Red Oak (
Q. rubra
), European Oak (
Q. robur
), and a hybrid oak (
Q. x benderi
) in Virginia (Braun, 1908; Conner, 1991). As of 2022 we have rearing records from Overcup Oak (
Q. lyrata
) and White Oak.
Observation Methods:
The adults visit lights. Local populations can also be documented by searching for the leaf mines on White Oak and rearing the adults.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for
General Oak-Hickory Forests
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:
Photo Gallery for
Cameraria hamadryadella
- Solitary Oak Leafminer Moth
Photos: 23
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-06-28
Montgomery Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-06-13
Montgomery Co.
Comment: Hundreds of occupied mines were on White Oak; appeared to be a population irruption in progress.
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2022-08-11
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2022-08-11
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2022-07-29
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2022-07-29
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2022-07-29
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2022-06-25
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-06-19
Davidson Co.
Comment: A reared adult from a mine on White Oak (see companion photo of the mine from 2022-06-01).
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-06-19
Davidson Co.
Comment: A reared adult from a mine on White Oak (see companion photo of the mine from 2022-06-01).
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2022-06-16
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2022-06-16
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2022-06-16
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-06-01
Davidson Co.
Comment: A White Oak leaf with three mines.
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-06-01
Davidson Co.
Comment: A backlit image of mines on White Oak; an adult emerged on June 19 (see companion photo).
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-06-01
Davidson Co.
Comment: A backlit image of a single mine in early stages; note the feeding larva.
Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman on 2022-05-23
Durham Co.
Comment: An adult that was reared from an upper surface blotch mine on Quercus lyrata.
Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman on 2022-05-23
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman on 2022-05-23
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Rob Van Epps on 2020-06-23
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Rob Van Epps on 2020-06-23
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Kyle Kittelberger on 2020-05-03
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Kyle Kittelberger on 2012-06-26
Wake Co.
Comment: