Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFOecophoridae Members: Eido Members: 44 NC Records

Eido trimaculella (Fitch, 1856) - Three-spotted Concealer Moth

Eido trimaculellaEido trimaculellaEido trimaculellaEido trimaculella
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Gelechioidea		 Family:
Oecophoridae		Subfamily:
Oecophorinae		Tribe:
Oecophorini		P3 Number:
59a0062		 MONA Number:
1068.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Hodges (1974)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The following is primarily based on the descriptions by Busck (1909) and Forbes (1923). The antenna is annulated with black and white, with each joint having a large white scale on the upper side. The third joint of the labial palp is blackish with two longitudinal white lines that terminate just before the base. The second joint is white-tipped and has a pointed ventral tuft of scales. The forewing is noticeably triangular, with a subfalcate apex and arched costa. The ground color is luteus but masked by a heavily dusting of fuscous coloration that produces an overall dusky brown color. White scales are sprinkling across the forewing and are most concentrated on the apical third where they sometimes form a whitish subterminal band. Three small pale costal spots are usually evident; one in the middle, one at the apical third that is the largest, and one just before the apex. The fringe is dark with a double series of pale bars, and the hindwing is dark. The patterning on this species is somewhat variable. The subfalcate apex and arched costa create a distinctive shape which, along with the maculation, is diagnostic.
Wingspan: 13-16 mm (Busck, 1909)
Forewing Length: 5-8 mm (Hodges, 1974)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The larvae are fungus-feeders and are known to feed on bracket fungi (Hodges, 1974; Lawrence and Powell, 1969). They live in webbing beneath the fruiting body. Populations are univoltine and the larvae may overwinter in the fruiting body, although this has not been verified.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Eido trimaculella is widely distributed in eastern North America, with a few scattered records in the West in British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. In the East, it occurs in southern Canada (Manitoba to Nova Scotia) and throughout most of the eastern US from the New England states south to Florida and westward to Louisiana, Arkansas, Illinois, and Minnesota. As of 2020, all of our records are from either the Piedmont or lower elevations in the mountains.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Eido trimaculellaAlamance 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)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: adults.
Flight Comments: Adults have been observed from April through August in different areas of the range. North Carolina populations are univoltine, with adults flying from mid-April through May in the Piedmont and mid-May through June in the lower mountains.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Populations appear to be dependent on bracket fungi as hosts and are associated with hardwood forests or wooded residential neighborhoods.
Larval Host Plants: The larvae are fungivores. They are known to feed on bracket fungi and can be found under silken webbing beneath the fungus body (Hodges, 1974; Lawrence and Powell, 1969). The known host include the Tinder Polypore (Fomes fomentarius) and the Birch Polypore (Piptoporus betulinus). This is undoubtedly not an exhaustive list of the fungal resources that are used by this species. - View
Observation Methods: The adults regularly visit lights. We encourage naturalists to seek out the larvae of this and other bracket fungus feeders to determine host use in North Carolina.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR SU
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: The adults are regularly encountered in the Piedmont and lower mountains, but more detailed information is need on this species distribution and abundance before its conservation status can be accurately assessed.

 Photo Gallery for Eido trimaculella - Three-spotted Concealer Moth

 36 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-06-08
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2024-06-24
Watauga Co.
Comment:
Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2024-06-24
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-05-12
Madison Co.
Comment:
Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2024-05-07
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-06-01
Madison Co.
Comment:
Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: Morgan Freese on 2023-05-28
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-05-12
Durham Co.
Comment:
Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-05-09
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: Steve Hall, David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-04-29
Orange Co.
Comment:
Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: Steve Hall, David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-04-29
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-04-21
Durham Co.
Comment:
Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2023-04-19
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-08-14
Madison Co.
Comment:
Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-06-04
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2022-05-15
Orange Co.
Comment:
Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2022-05-05
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2022-05-05
Wake Co.
Comment:
Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: John Petranka on 2022-05-04
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2022-04-30
Wake Co.
Comment:
Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2022-04-25
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-09-07
Madison Co.
Comment:
Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2021-05-24
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2021-05-23
Durham Co.
Comment:
Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-06-08
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: Kyle Kittelberger on 2020-05-17
Wake Co.
Comment:
Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2020-05-03
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2020-05-03
Orange Co.
Comment:
Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: Kyle Kittelberger on 2020-05-03
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Eido trimaculella
Recorded by: Kyle Kittelberger on 2020-05-03
Wake Co.
Comment: