Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Nepticulidae Members:	Stigmella Members:	59 NC Records

Stigmella caryaefoliella (Clemens, 1861) - No Common Name

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Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Nepticuloidea

Family:
Nepticulidae

P3 Number:
16a0019

MONA Number:
93.10

Comments: Members of the genus Stigmella are a group of small leaf-mining moths that typically create linear mines, although a few species form linear-blotch or blotch mines. Newton and Wilkinson (1982) recognized 51 species in their revision on the North American fauna, and new discoveries have since raised the total to around 57 species. Almost all species are specialists and rarely use more than one genus of host plants. Host-specificity, mine characteristics, and genitalic differences are helpful in recognizing closely related forms that are externally similar.

Species Status: Wilkinson and Scoble (1979) synonymized S. caryaefoliella and S. obscurella (Braun, 1912) with S. ostryaefoliella on the basis of the male genitalia. Nieukerken et al. (2016) removed these synonyms and recognized all three as good species. Each species feeds on a different host and has distinct DNA barcodes and morphologies.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions:

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

Technical Description, Adults: Wilkinson and Scoble (1979)

Technical Description, Immature Stages: Payne et al., 1972

Adult Markings: The following description of the adults is based on Braun (1917) and Wilkinson and Scoble (1979). The palps are gray and lustrous, and the antenna is purplish gray and lustrous. The tuft is pale ochreous to bright orange-ochreous. The eye-cap is shining creamy white, and often has brownish purple shading around the edges. The collar varies from pale ochreous to gray-purple. The thorax and forewing are dark grayish brown to deep purplish black, and sometimes have bronze or purple reflections. There is a single, broad, white, postmedial fascia on the forewing. The fascia has a silvery shine and is broadest on the dorsum. The cilia are gray to blackish and concolorous with the wings. The hindwing and cilia are gray. The legs are purplish gray and lustrous, with pale ochreous to purplish patches, particularly on the forelegs, midlegs, hind tarsi and tibial spurs. Stigmella caryaefoliella is difficult to distinguish from closely related forms such as S. ostryaefoliella based on external characteristics. Reliable identification is best achieved using genitalia, DNA barcoding, or by rearing adults from the host plants.

Wingspan: 3.2-4.2 for males; 3.6-4.2 for females (Wilkinson and Scoble, 1979).

Adult Structural Features: Wilkinson and Scoble (1979) synonymized S. caryaefoliella with S. ostryaefoliella on the basis of the male genitalia. The following description of the males is based on their account of S. ostryaefoliella. The tegumen is in the form of a narrow band, and the posterior edge is not serrated. The uncus is weakly bilobed, with the lobes extending into short, inwardly pointed, arcuate papillae. The gnathos has horns that are clearly branched. The valves are broad with stout, elongated, hair-like scales that arise from the inner aspect of the tip. The transtilla has a horizontal bar that is not significantly bilobed.

Immatures and Development: The larvae produce whitish to light tan upper surface mines on hickory leaflets. The mine is narrow and elongated, and gradually widens to about 2 mm in width as the larva grows. The mine often follows a lateral vein or the midrib for a substantial portion of its length. A narrow, dark, central frass line extends along the length of the mine. The larva are pale green when young and dark green when mature. The mature larva exits the leaf through a crescent-shaped slit in the upper epidermis and spins a light tan to brownish red cocoon on the ground (Braun, 1917; Payne et al., 1972; Eiseman, 2019).

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

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Stigmella caryaefoliella is widely distributed in eastern North America where the host plants occur locally. Populations have been documented in Ohio, Ontario, Quebec, and the New England states south and southwestward to Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. This species is found statewide in North Carolina.

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: There appear to be two or possibly three broods per year. Braun (1917) noted that full grown larvae first occur seasonally in the middle of June in the vicinity of southern Ohio. A second and third brood occurs in July, and in late August and early September. Elsewhere, mines with larvae have been found as late as October. We have records for unoccupied mines in May and June.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Stigmella caryaefoliella is a specialist on hickories and occurs in a variety of hardwood or mixed conifer-hardwood forests with the host species.

Larval Host Plants: Larvae mine the leaves of hickories, including Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis), Pecan (C. illinoinensis), Shagbark Hickory (C. ovata), and Mockernut Hickory (C. tomentosa) (Eiseman, 2022). In North Carolina, we have records for Bitternut Hickory, Mockernut Hickory, Shagbark Hickory, Pignut Hickory (C. glabra), Sand Hickory (C. pallida), Shellbark Hickory (C. laciniosa), and Red Hickory (C. ovalis). - View

Observation Methods: The adults appear to rarely visit lights and most records are based on either leaf mines or adults that were raised from mines. We recommend searching for mines, and rearing and photographing the adults. A second undescribed species of Stigmella also uses hickory species (here treated as 'Stigmella new species 2'), but has frass that is broadly distributed in the mine throughout most of its length rather than forming a narrow, central line. Care needs to be taken to not confuse the two when examining mines.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Oak-Hickory Forests

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S4S5

State Protection:

Comments: This species occurs statewide and appears to be secure.

Photo Gallery for Stigmella caryaefoliella - None

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

	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-14 Scotland Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Mark Basinger on 2025-07-11 Buncombe Co. Comment: A reared adult from Bitternut Hickory; larva on 6-24-2025; adult on 2025-07-11.
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-10 Bladen Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-09 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-27 Davidson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Mark Basinger on 2025-06-24 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-14 Rowan Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-14 Rowan Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-14 Rowan Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George on 2024-10-29 Onslow Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George on 2024-10-27 Craven Co. Comment:		Recorded by: J.B. Sullivan on 2024-09-15 Carteret Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson on 2024-08-12 Pamlico Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2024-08-03 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2024-08-03 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jame Amoroso, John Amoroso, Meriel Goodwin, Jason Hollinger, Gary Perlmutter on 2024-06-16 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-06 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George on 2023-10-16 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn on 2023-08-12 Caswell Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2023-07-01 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2023-07-01 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2023-05-24 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2023-05-24 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-05-23 New Hanover Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jim George on 2022-10-12 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jim George on 2022-10-12 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Becky Watkins on 2022-10-09 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George on 2022-10-04 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-10-04 Transylvania Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-10-04 Transylvania Co. Comment: