Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Gracillariidae Members:	Cameraria Members:	85 NC Records

Cameraria guttifinitella (Clemens, 1859) - Poison Ivy Leafminer Moth

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Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Gracillarioidea

Family:
Gracillariidae

Subfamily:
Lithocolletinae

Tribe:
[Lithocolletini]

P3 Number:
33a0243

MONA Number:
822.00

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: Clemens (1859)

Technical Description, Immature Stages: Clemens (1859), Eiseman (2019)

Adult Markings: The adults closely resemble several other species of Cameraria, but can be identified from high-quality images that show both lateral and dorsal views. The adults appear to rarely visit lights and are best obtained by collecting leaves with mines and raising larvae to eclosion. The following is mostly based on Clemens (1859) original description of the adults. The front is silvery with a reddish hue, while the tuft and thorax are reddish orange. The antenna varies from light to blackish brown. The forewing is a rather deep reddish orange, with two silvery bands that are black margined behind. One is in the middle of the wing and nearly straight, while the other is midway between this and the base of the wing and somewhat obliquely placed. A costal silvery spot or streak is present before the costo-apical cilia and is black margined on both sides. A similar opposing silvery streak is present dorsally that is margined with black only on the posterior edge. The apical portion of the wing is dusted with blackish scales, and there is a white spot or short, faint streak near the tip above the middle of the wing. One or two dark marginal lines are sometimes evident: one near the margin of the dispersed scales and the second just posterior and in the cilia. This species lacks a pale or whitish streak at the base of the dorsal margin, which helps to distinguish it from other Cameraria with otherwise similar patterning.

Wingspan: 7-8 mm

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

Immatures and Development: With rare exception, the larvae feed on Toxicodendron species, including Poison-ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), Poison-oak (T. pubescens), and Poison Sumac (T. vernix). Feeding occurs on the upper leaf surface and eventually results in an elongated blotch mine. The mines characteristically have light edges and darker centers that are frass-filled. Individual mines usually have a single larva, but it is not uncommon for there to be two or more larvae present that feed communally. Instances like this may reflect the fusion of individual mines. A single leaflet sometimes has two or more mines that occupy most of the surface of a leaflet and produce an overall bleached pattern. Local populations in North Carolina appear to be bivoltine. Larvae of the last seasonal brood overwinter in the mines in niduses, which are circular or oval-shaped, silk-lined chambers. They then pupate during the spring warm-up and eclose shortly thereafter (Eiseman, 2019).

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

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: This species is broadly distributed in North America and occurs as far west as Washington State and British Columbia. In eastern North America, it occurs from southern Canada south to Texas and Florida (Eiseman, 2019). In North Carolina, most of our records are from the lower elevations in the mountains and the Piedmont where Poison Ivy is the primary host. As of 2023, we have only three records from the 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: Eiseman (2019) reported that this species is bivoltine, which is consistent with our North Carolina records based on occupied mines. As of 2023, our earliest records of occupied mines are from late March. The first brood in centered around June-July, with the second beginning in September. Mines can be found with larvae through late-October, with the larvae overwintering and pupating in the spring.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Populations have been found in North Carolina in habitats that range from mid-elevation hardwood forests in the Blue Ridge to wetland habitats near the coast. Local populations occur in a variety of forested or edge habitats that support Poison-ivy and other host plants.

Larval Host Plants: The larvae typically use either Poison-ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), Poison-oak (T. pubescens), or Poison Sumac (T. vernix) for feeding and shelter, but on rare occasion will use Fragrant Sumac (Rhus aromatica). In North Carolina, all of our records are from Poison-ivy, with one from Poison Sumac and one from Fragrant Sumac. We have no records of this species using Poison-oak even though it is often locally abundant in some areas of the Coastal Plain such as the Sandhills. - View

Observation Methods: Local populations of this species are most easily detected by searching for the distinctive blotch mines that are on Poison-ivy and other species of Toxicodendron. Two other moth species mine Toxicodendron leaves in the eastern US. These produce either very elongated, narrow mines (Stigmella rhoifoliella), or linear mines that eventually widen and become tentiform (Caloptilia rhoifoliella). Both are easily distinguished from the large linear-blotch mines of C. guttifinitella. The adults appear to rarely come to lights.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Sumac Thickets and Poison Ivy Tangles

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S4S5

State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.

Comments: Searches for leaf mines have added many new records for this species since 2015. Populations are often locally abundant where stands of Poison-ivy are present in mesic woods.

Photo Gallery for Cameraria guttifinitella - Poison Ivy Leafminer Moth

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

	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-10-18 Lee Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-10-18 Stanly Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-10-05 Stanly Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Tracy Feldman on 2025-08-28 Carteret Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-14 Ashe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson on 2025-08-12 Alamance Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson on 2025-08-12 Alamance Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-12 Ashe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-09 Alamance 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: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-09 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-27 Davidson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-22 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: T. Feldman on 2025-06-03 Carteret Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin on 2025-05-24 Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George on 2024-10-27 Craven Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-10-16 Rowan Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-21 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-08-30 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-08-30 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-08-30 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-08-28 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-08-28 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-08-26 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-08-26 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-08-23 Carteret Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-08-18 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-08-18 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Erich Hofmann and Kayla Weinfurther on 2023-10-27 New Hanover Co. Comment: