Comptonia
Guides
Acleris kearfottana
Acleris kearfottana is a small tortricid moth with a wingspan of approximately 15 mm. It is known from northeastern North America, with records from Maine, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Quebec, and West Virginia. Adults are active in spring, summer, and late autumn, suggesting a possible multivoltine life cycle. The larvae feed on specific host plants including sweetfern (Comptonia peregrina), bayberries (Myrica species), and witch-hazel (Hamamelis).
Auletobius cassandrae
Auletobius cassandrae is a leaf-rolling weevil in the family Attelabidae, first described by Voss in 1922. It is native to eastern North America and is known to feed exclusively on the leaves of sweetfern (Comptonia peregrina), a nitrogen-fixing shrub in the bayberry family. The species belongs to a genus characterized by leaf-rolling behaviors used to create protected chambers for egg-laying and larval development.
Neochlamisus comptoniae
warty leaf beetle
Neochlamisus comptoniae is a small warty leaf beetle in the family Chrysomelidae, subfamily Cryptocephalinae. Like other members of the tribe Chlamisini, adults exhibit remarkable fecal mimicry—resembling caterpillar frass in size, shape, texture, and coloration. When disturbed, they retract their head and fold legs and antennae into precise grooves, eliminating any indication of being an insect. The species is associated with sweetfern (Comptonia peregrina), a plant in the family Myricaceae.