Moths of North Carolina
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35 NC Records

Cameraria ostryarella (Chambers, 1871) - Hophornbeam Blotchminer Moth

Cameraria ostryarella
view caption 		Cameraria ostryarellaCameraria ostryarella
view caption 		Cameraria ostryarella
view caption
Taxonomy
Superfamily: Gracillarioidea Family: GracillariidaeSubfamily: LithocolletinaeTribe: [Lithocolletini]P3 Number: 33a0256 MONA Number: 832.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Braun (1908); Eiseman (2019)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Braun (1908); Eiseman (2019)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The following description of the adults is based primarily on Braun (1908). The face and palps are white, while the antenna is whitish with brown annulations above. The ground color of the thorax and forewing is reddish brown. The head tuft is whitish with some reddish brown laterally. The ground color of the forewing is reddish-brown, and is overlain with several white streaks or fascia with varying levels of black scales on their posterior margins. Two white fascia are present; one at about one-fourth, and the second at the middle of the wing. Each are boldly margined in black posteriorly. The first fascia is slightly concave outwardly on the fold, then extends obliquely to the costa. The second fascia at about the middle of the wing is slightly oblique. At the base of the wing there is a short white streak, often with a few black marginal scales, that extends from the inner margin to no more than the middle of the wing base. At about three-fourths, there is a conspicuous white streak with a black posterior margin. The streak projects from the inner margin rearward, and the terminus approaches a short, straight sub-costal streak that is often reduced to a spot or small patch. Just anterior to the sub-costal streak or patch, there may be a second faint costal patch or spot. Some of the scales in the apical third of the forewing are tipped with brown and produce varying levels of brownish dusting (sometimes obscure on North Carolina specimens). The cilia is ocherous and the marginal line in the cilia is brownish. The hindwing is grayish ocherous. The front and middle legs are banded black and white above, while the rear legs are whitish with a faint darker mark or two sometimes evident near the tarsal joints.

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.
Wingspan: 6-7 mm (Braun, 1908)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The larvae form irregular upper surface blotch mines that tend to have dark brown interior regions and lighter edges when fresh. The mines are often communal, with as many as five larvae feeding together in a single mine (Braun, 1908; Eiseman 2019). In some instances, these may reflect the fusion of individual mines to form a larger communal mine. Local populations are bivoltine. Larvae in the first seasonal brood pupate within the mines, but do not produce circular silk-lined chambers (niduses). Larvae in the second, overwintering brood do construct niduses. Each nidus has a circular narrow ridge on the upper epidermis and a convex projection on the lower leaf surface (Braun, 1908; Eiseman, 2019). Occupied mines that we have found in North Carolina typically contain from 1-5 larvae, with most having either one or two larvae. The mines varied in shape from being somewhat globular to more elongated. Larvae that were collected in September produced circular niduses. They presumably overwinter in these, then pupate the following spring.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Cameraria ostryarella occurs in eastern North America from the northeastern US, westward to Ontario, Quebec, Michigan, and Iowa, then southward to Kentucky and North Carolina. As of 2021, our records for North Carolina are mostly from the lower mountains, with a few records from the eastern Piedmont and one from the Outer Banks.
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, with adults active from April-August.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Local populations are strongly affiliated with the host plants, American Hop-hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana) and American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana). Ostrya occurs in rich woods with circumneutral soils, while Carpinus is common along stream banks, in floodplains, and on moist slopes.
Larval Host Plants: American Hop-hornbeam and American Hornbeam appear to be the primary hosts. As of 2022, all but two of our site records for North Carolina were based on leaf mines on American Hop-hornbeam. This species appears to use Carpinus much less commonly even though it is a very common and widespread species in the state. - View
Observation Methods: We recommend searching for the rather conspicuous leaf mines on Ostrya and Carpinus during the late spring and summer months. We encourage individuals to rear and photograph the adults. The adults occasionally visit lights that are set up in the vicinity of the host plants.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Corylaceous Thickets and Understories
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: This species was only recently discovered in North Carolina, which likely reflects the fact that little effort has been put forth to document leafminers within the state.

 Photo Gallery for Cameraria ostryarella - Hophornbeam Blotchminer Moth

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

Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-08-21
Yancey Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-08-21
Yancey Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-07-29
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-07-29
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Tracy Feldman on 2024-07-25
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Becky Watkins on 2023-08-06
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Becky Watkins on 2023-07-30
Swain Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and John Petranka on 2022-08-10
Watauga Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and John Petranka on 2022-08-10
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-07-07
Madison Co.
Comment: One of adults that were reared from mines on Hop Hornbeam; communal mines on June 18 with 3-5 larvae; two adults on July 7, 2022.
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-07-07
Madison Co.
Comment: One of adults that were reared from mines on Hop Hornbeam; communal mines on June 18 with 3-5 larvae; two adults on July 7, 2022. 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-07-04
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-07-04
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-06-18
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-06-18
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman on 2022-06-03
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman on 2022-06-03
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman on 2022-06-03
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman on 2022-06-03
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-04-20
Madison Co.
Comment: A reared adult from American Hop-hornbeam. Mine was collected on Sept 18, 2021; adult emerged on April 20, 2022 after overwintering in refrigerator. See companion photo of the mine from 2021-09-18.
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-04-15
Buncombe Co.
Comment: An adult that was reared from American Hop-hornbeam.		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-04-15
Buncombe Co.
Comment: An adult that was reared from American Hop-hornbeam.
Recorded by: Jim Petranka, John Petranka, Steve Hall, and Becky Elkin on 2022-04-03
Durham Co.
Comment: A reared adult from a mine on Carpinus caroliniana; mine on 2021-09-28; adult emerged on 2022-04-03 (see companion photo of the mine). 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, John Petranka, Becky Elkin, and Sally Gewalt on 2021-12-05
Dare Co.
Comment: Occupied mines with niduses were on Ostrya virginiana.
Recorded by: Jim Petranka, John Petranka, Becky Elkin, and Sally Gewalt on 2021-12-05
Dare Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, John Petranka, Becky Elkin, Sally Gewalt on 2021-09-29
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka, John Petranka, Becky Elkin, Sally Gewalt on 2021-09-29
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, John Petranka, Becky Elkin, Sally Gewalt on 2021-09-29
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka, John Petranka, Becky Elkin, Sally Gewalt on 2021-09-29
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, John Petranka, Steve Hall, and Becky Elkin on 2021-09-28
Durham Co.
Comment: A mine on Carpinus caroliniana; adult emerged on April 3, 2022 (see companion photo).