Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFDepressariidae Members: Antaeotricha Members: 119 NC Records

Antaeotricha humilis (Zeller, 1855) - Dotted Antaeotricha

Antaeotricha humilisAntaeotricha humilisAntaeotricha humilisAntaeotricha humilis
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Gelechioidea		 Family:
Depressariidae		Subfamily:
Stenomatinae		Tribe:
[Stenomatini]		P3 Number:
59a0232		 MONA Number:
1019.00		 Other Common Name:
Dotted Bird-dropping Moth
Comments: The genus Antaeotricha is endemic to the New World and includes nearly 400 species of mostly neotropical species. Twenty species are currently recognized in North America.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Duckworth (1964)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Marquis et al. (2019)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The following is based primarily on descriptions by Forbes (1923) and Duckworth (1964). The face is white and sprinkled with brown, while the labial palp is similar but only sprinkled with brown exteriorly. The ground color of the head, thorax, antenna, and forewing varies from ashy gray to grayish brown, with the latter more typical of females. The forewing has a rather complex series of marks that are variable, in part depending on the degree of wear. The following is a general description of the major features, but expect variation among individuals. Two small longitudinal streaks are present at the extreme based of the wing. Beginning at about one-fifth the wing length there is a series of two or three spots that begin at the costa and slant posteriorly towards an inverted V-shaped or U-shaped mark that adjoins the inner margin. At about two-thirds there is a second series of one to three spots and an accompanying jagged narrow streak. These are on the inner half of the wing and run roughly perpendicular to the inner margin. The costal margin has two additional small dark blotches at about one-half and four-fifths. The later usually connects to a faint, curved, subterminal band that arches towards the inner margin. At the wing tip, there is a line of fine dark spots that extends from the inner margin along the base of the fringe, then around the apex where it terminates near the costal blotch at four-fifths. The hindwing and cilia are light tan and darker than the forewings, while the abdomen is whitish ocherous. The foreleg is brown with the tarsi ringed with white. The midleg is white with scattered brown mottling, and the hindleg is mostly white.
Wingspan: 12-15 mm (Duckworth, 1964)
Adult Structural Features: Duckworth (1964) has descriptions and illustrations of the male and female genitalia.
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The following summary of the larval life history is based largely on studies in Missouri by Marquis et al. (2019) and Carroll and Kearby (1978). The larvae specialize on oaks and the early instars are gregarious. There are six instars and two generations per year in Missouri, with larvae present from May to July, and again from late August to November. The early instar larvae are leaf rollers in spring, but later bind two overlapping leaves together with silk and form winding tunnels of frass and silk between leaves during mid to late summer. They typically only feed on the lower leaf surface within the bound leaves. Larvae in the autumn overwinter in leaf litter beneath oak trees. The mature larva has a tan head above that lacks markings and a single genal stripe. The first two thoracic segments are blackish and there a series of brownish scalloped marks along each side of the body. Marquis et al. (2019) provide detailed descriptions of the larvae, and delineate features that will distinguish this species from other Antaeotricha that occur in the eastern US.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from close inspection of specimens or by DNA analysis.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Antaeotricha humilis is found throughout much of the eastern US from Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois southward to the Gulf Coast and Florida. The range extends west to central Oklahoma and central Texas. A single record is known from southwestern Ontario. As of 2020, we have records from all areas of the state except for the higher elevations in the mountains.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Antaeotricha humilisAlamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New%20Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

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