Moths of North Carolina

Scientific Name:	Common Name:		Family (Alpha):

View PDF	Gracillariidae Members:	22 NC Records
Cameraria hamameliella Busck, 1903 - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Superfamily: Gracillarioidea	Family: Gracillariidae	Subfamily: Lithocolletinae	P3 Number: 330362.00	MONA Number: 824.00
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.	Technical Description, Adults: Braun, 1908.	Technical Description, Immature Stages: Braun, 1908; Eiseman, 2019.
Adult Markings: The following is mostly based on Braun's (1908) description of adults. The face and palpi are whitish, while the antennae are whitish ocherous with dark brown annulations. The head tuft is reddish orange, and the thorax and forewings are deep reddish orange. At the base of the wing there is a faint, silvery streak with a black margin posteriorly that extends from the margin to the fold. This is followed by two straight, oblique, and roughly parallel silvery bands that are black margined posteriorly. The first is at the basal fourth of the wing, and the second about midway. At three-fourths, there is a costal and dorsal streak with black posterior margins. The dorsal streak is longer and curved rearward, while the costal one is shorter, straight, and often reduced to a spot. At the beginning of the costal cilia there is a short apical streak that is dark margined. The cilia are reddish, but become gray at the tornus. The hindwings and cilia are reddish gray, and the abdomen is dark gray above and ocherous gray beneath. The tarsal joints of the legs are white and tipped with black, but less so on the hindlegs. Although C. hamameliella is very closely related to C. aceriella, C. hamameliella differs by having deeper and more reddish color on the tuft and wings. The hind tarsi of C. hamameliella are also tipped with black, whereas in C. aceriella they are either faintly blackish tipped or entirely pure white.
Wingspan: 7 mm (Braun, 1908).
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae mine the upper leaf surface and produce a whitish blotch that usually has a darker central area. The mature blotch is roughly circular or slightly oblong in shape. Larvae in the first brood pupate during the summer beneath a flat silken cocoon (Braun, 1908). Larvae in the second brood construct overwintering niduses which are visible through the epidermis as white rings (Eiseman, 2019). Individuals either overwinter as pupae, or as larvae and pupate the following spring. The adults emerge after the spring leaf-out.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.

Distribution in North Carolina


Distribution: Cameraria hamameliella is widely distributed in eastern North America, including southern Ontario, southern Nova Scotia, and much of the eastern US where the host species are found. As of 2020, our records from North Carolina are mostly from the central 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: Populations are bivoltine with a summer and autumn brood.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Local populations appear to rely heavily on Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) as a host plant. This species is found in a variety of mesic to dry forests, and occasionally in floodplain forests.

Larval Host Plants: Larvae were once thought to be monophagous on Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), but have recently been found on Large Witch-alder (Fothergilla major; Eiseman, 2019). As of 2021, all of our records are from Witch Hazel.

Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights that are in the vicinity of Witch Hazel. Local populations are perhaps most easily documented by searching for the distinctive mines on Witch Hazel and Fothergilla. We encourage individuals to rear and photograph adults to better document phenotypes in North Carolina.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Hardwood Forests

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR SU

State Protection:

Comments: We currently do not have sufficient information on the distribution and abundance of this species in North Carolina to determine its conservation status. Cameraria hamameliella appears to be rather common in the central mountains, and likely occurs throughout the Blue Ridge.

Cameraria hamameliella Busck, 1903 - No Common Name

Photo Gallery for Cameraria hamameliella - No common name

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

Photo Gallery for Cameraria hamameliella - No common name		34 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-10-14 McDowell Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-10-14 McDowell Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-09-30 Scotland Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-09-30 Scotland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-09-22 Buncombe Co. Comment: Occupied mine was on Witch-hazel.	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-09-10 Transylvania Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-09-09 Jackson Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-09-02 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-09-02 Madison Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-08-27 Henderson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Bo Sullivan on 2021-08-02 Ashe Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin and Bo Sullivan on 2021-08-02 Ashe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-07-22 Clay Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-07-22 Clay Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-07-21 Graham Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-07-21 Graham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-07-16 Buncombe Co. Comment: An occupied mine with two larvae on Witch Hazel.	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2020-09-15 Yancey Co. Comment: An occupied mine with three larvae.
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-09-07 Madison Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-09-07 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-08-27 Buncombe Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-08-27 Yancey Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2020-08-07 Burke Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2020-08-07 Burke Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2020-07-17 Buncombe Co. Comment: An occupied mine on Witch Hazel.	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2020-07-17 Buncombe Co. Comment: An occupied mine on Witch Hazel.
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2020-07-17 Buncombe Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-05-03 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2019-10-01 Madison Co. Comment: An upper surface mine on Witch Hazel.	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2019-10-01 Madison Co. Comment: A backlit image with the larva visible in the upper right corner.