Moths of North Carolina
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1 NC Records

Stigmella saginella (Clemens, [1862]) - No Common Name

Taxonomy
Family: NepticulidaeP3 Number: 16a0015 MONA Number: 87.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Braun (1917), Newton and Wilkinson (1982)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Eiseman (2022)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Stigmella saginella is distinctive is being only one of two Stigmella in North America that have a light ground color that is dusted with fuscous scales (Braun, 1917; Newton and Wilkinson, 1982). The other species (S. pallida) is known from one site in Ohio and can be distinguished by its very light head tuft, compared with the dark head tuft of S. saginella. The following description is primarily based on that of Braun (1917). The face is pale buff, with the head and head tuft above dark brown. The collar and eye-caps are pale buff, while the thorax and forewing vary from being pale ocherous or pale buff to even whitish. Both are dusted with varying numbers of buff scales with fuscous tips that are often denser towards the outer half of the wing. The dark-tipped scales are either evenly distributed or collected into small spots, but never form a band. The cilia are pale ocherous and the hindwing pale gray. This species resembles Zimmermannia obrutella, but can be readily distinguished by the prominent collar between the head and thorax that consists of flattened scales (typical of all Stigmella species). The collars of Zimmermannia species are inconspicuous and consist of hair-like scales.
Wingspan: 4.0-5.5 mm (Braun, 1917); 4.0-5.0 for males; 4.0-4.8 mm for females (Wilkinson and Scoble, 1979)
Adult Structural Features: Wilkinson and Scoble (1979) and Newton and Wilkinson (1982) have illustrations and descriptions of the male and female genitalia.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The green larvae mine the leaves of members of the white oak group. Females lay eggs on the upper leaf surface, and the sinuous mine is a linear tract that reaches a maximum width of around 1.5-2.0 mm. The larva deposits a black line of frass in the center of the mine, with the frass sometimes more widely dispersed in parts of the mine. The larva is bright green and exits through the lower epidermis. It then spins a whitish or occasionally ocherous cocoon nearby (Braun, 1917; Eiseman, 2022).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Stigmella saginella is found in eastern North America in association with hardwood forests. Specimens have been documented in southern Canada (Ontario; Quebec), and in the U.S. in Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Virginia and Texas (Newton and Wilkinson, 1982; Eiseman, 2022; iNaturalist). This species was recently found in North Carolina at a lower-elevation site in the central Blue Ridge.
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
Flight Comments: The flight season is poorly documented due to the scarcity of records, but local populations appear to be multivoltine, with the first flight occurring during the spring leaf-out. MPG has one record from March and several from July through September. Braun (1917) noted that occupied mines have been found from June through October. As of 2024, our only record is for an adult from late-April.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: This species is generally associated with hardwood or mixed hardwood-pine forests where oaks are present.
Larval Host Plants: The larvae feed on members of the white oak group (Wilkinson and Scoble, 1979; Eiseman, 2022). The documented hosts include White Oak (Quercus alba), Swamp White Oak (Q. bicolor), Bur Oak (Q. macrocarpa), Chestnut Oak (Q. montana) and Post Oak (Q. stellata).
Observation Methods: The adults have rarely been found, but appear to be attracted to lights to some extent. Most records are based on reared adults from leaf mines.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S1S3]
State Protection:
Comments: This seemingly rare species was only recently found in North Carolina. More information is needed on its distribution, abundance and host use before we can accurately assess its conservation status within the state.

 Photo Gallery for Stigmella saginella - No common name

Photos: 1

Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-04-30
Madison Co.
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