Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Gracillariidae Members:	Cameraria Members:	25 NC Records

Cameraria saccharella (Braun, 1908) - Sugar Maple Blotchminer Moth

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Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Gracillarioidea

Family:
Gracillariidae

Subfamily:
Lithocolletinae

P3 Number:
33a0261

MONA Number:
836.00

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

Technical Description, Adults: Braun, 1908.

Adult Markings: The following is Braun's (1908) description based on specimens from Cincinnati, Ohio. The antennae are pale ocherous and ringed with dark coloration beyond the basal third. Several joints toward the tip are also dark. The palpi and face are shining white, and the head tuft is whitish above and golden toward the sides. The thorax and forewings are ocherous. A white stripe on each side of the middle of the thorax is continuous with a very oblique curved white streak at the inner angle of the forewing. This streak, which is sometimes dark margined behind, extends to the fold and is usually prolonged along the fold to unite with the first dorsal streak. The first dorsal streak begins at the basal fifth, is oblique and curved, and extends slightly more than halfway across the wing. The second dorsal streak, at about the middle of the dorsal margin, is also oblique and curved, and near the costa its apex meets that of the first costal streak, which is short, oblique and placed slightly beyond the middle, thus forming an acutely angled, interrupted fascia. The second costal streak at the apical fourth is sometimes almost overlaid with black scales. Above the dorsal cilia is a long oblique white streak. All the streaks are dark margined externally. The apical portion is white and dusted with black. There is considerable variation in the extent of the black dusting, which sometimes extends to the tornus. The marginal line in the cilia is brownish ocherous and the cilia is pale ocherous. The hindwings are pale grayish ocherous with pale ocherous cilia. The abdomen is gray above and pale ocherous below, and the anal tuft ocherous.

Features of the forewing that help to distinguish this species from other Cameraria include the presence of oblique costal and dorsal streaks, an oblique white streak or patch at the base of the dorsal margin, and two fasciae that are distinctly angulated. Braun (1908) has color illustrations of species in the eastern US that are useful for comparing closely related forms.

Wingspan: 5-7 mm (Braun, 1908).

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

Immatures and Development: Braun (1908) found the mines to be very common on Sugar Maple in Ohio, with as many as 25 or 30 mines sometimes occurring on one leaf. The larvae create elongated irregular blotch mines on the upper surfaces of leaves. The frass pattern appears to vary markedly, perhaps depending on the host species. Braun (1908) illustrated a mine with narrow, central, branching frass deposits. Eiseman (2019) reared an adult from an elongate, widening mine on Red Maple with the frass deposited in a central band. On two other occasions he raised adults from an elongate or branching mine on Southern Sugar Maple with some of the frass centrally deposited, and some along the margins as in C. aceriella. Larvae in North Carolina typically deposit the frass near the center of the mines, which is helpful in distinguishing this species from C. aceriella. The latter also uses maples, but deposits the frass along the outer margins of the mine.

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

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Cameraria saccharella occurs from southern Ontario and Maine, southward and westward to Illinois, Ohio, and North Carolina. As of 2023, our limited records are from scattered localities in the Blue Ridge, Piedmont, and extreme eastern 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: Populations appear to be bivoltine, with adults appearing shortly after the spring leaf-out and later in late-summer or early fall. Eiseman (2019) raised adults from mines that were collected in May, July, and August from North Carolina.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: This species feeds on several species of maples. It likely occurs in urban landscapes, as well as hardwood and mixed hardwood-pine forests throughout the state.

Larval Host Plants: The documented host plants include Florida Maple (A. floridanum), Black Maple (A. nigrum), Red Maple (A. rubrum), Silver Maple (A. saccharinum), and Sugar Maple (A. saccharum) (Braun, 1908; Eiseman, 2019). In North Carolina, we have records for Sugar Maple, Florida Maple, and Red Maple. - View

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

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Maple Forests

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S2S4

State Protection:

Comments:

Photo Gallery for Cameraria saccharella - Sugar Maple Blotchminer Moth

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

	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-11-01 Craven Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Lior S. Carlson, Dean Furbish on 2025-08-12 Alamance Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-02 Rowan Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-02 Rowan Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-24 New Hanover Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-24 New Hanover Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Lior S. Carlson, Dean Furbish on 2025-06-17 Alamance Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Lior S. Carlson, Dean Furbish on 2025-06-17 Alamance Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Lior S. Carlson, Dean Furbish on 2025-06-17 Alamance Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2024-06-19 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2024-06-18 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2024-06-18 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2024-06-18 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George on 2024-06-07 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2023-08-18 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2023-08-18 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn on 2023-08-12 Caswell Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn on 2023-08-12 Caswell Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-08-04 Madison Co. Comment: A reared adult from a mine on Sugar Maple; mine on July 15; adult on August 4.		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-08-04 Madison Co. Comment: A reared adult from a mine on Sugar Maple; mine on July 15; adult on August 4.
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-07-15 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-07-15 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2023-06-16 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2023-06-16 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2023-06-16 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-10-06 Burke Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-10-06 Burke Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, John Petranka, Becky Elkin, and Steve Hall on 2021-09-28 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka, John Petranka, Becky Elkin, and Steve Hall on 2021-09-28 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, John Petranka, Becky Elkin, and Steve Hall on 2021-09-28 Durham Co. Comment: