Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Glyphidoceridae Members:	Glyphidocera Members:	65 NC Records

Glyphidocera democratica Meyrick, 1929 - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Gelechioidea

Family:
Glyphidoceridae

Subfamily:
[Glyphidocerinae]

Tribe:
[Glyphidocerini]

P3 Number:
59a0016

MONA Number:
1137.00

Comments: Glyphidocera is a large but poorly studied genus with numerous undescribed species in the Neotropics, where they reach their greatest diversity. Adamski (2005) described 88 new species from Costa Rica alone. There are currently 11 described species in North America, and seven species in North Carolina. They are small to medium-sized moths and, with rare exceptions, vary from pale yellowish brown to dark brown. Most have few, if any, diagnostic markings on the wings. Host associations are unknown for almost all species, which suggests that they may be detritivores or fungivores that do not feed on living plants.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions:

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

Technical Description, Adults: Meyrick (1929)

Adult Markings: The following is based in part on the description by Meyrick (1929). The palps are strongly recurved and reach backwards almost to the thorax. The head, thorax, labial palps, and forewings are brownish to ocherous. The antenna is tan with obscure darker annulations, and the notch is deep, with a scale-tooth beneath. The forewing has thinly sprinkled dark brown to blackish scales throughout. A heavy dusting of black scales is present on the termen and fringe, and sometimes on the basal third of the wing. A large blackish spot is present just before one-half the wing length near the middle, and a second smaller spot at about two-thirds. The first spot is often elongated and somewhat oblique. The cilia are pale gray to grayish black, with two obscure shades of gray. The hindwings is light gray, and the cilia are pale gray with a darker sub-basal shade.

Glyphidocera democratica resembles several other Glyphidocera in terms of the overall brownish appearance and spot pattern. This species tends to be darker than most others and has a heavy dusting of black scales near the end of the forewing. In addition, the first dark-brown spot tends to be elongated, slightly oblique, and noticeably larger than the second spot.

Wingspan: 16-18 mm (Meyrick, 1929)

Forewing Length: approximately 8 mm (J.B. Sullivan)

Structural photos

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

Immatures and Development: The larval life history is undocumented.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Glyphidocera democratica is found in the eastern US, and primarily in the Southeast. The range extends from Maryland and vicinity, southward to southern Florida, and westward to central Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Illinois. As of 2021, our records are mostly from the Piedmont, with one record from a lower elevation site in the mountains, and a second from the southern 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
Flight Comments: Adults have been observed from April through July in areas outside of North Carolina. Populations in North Carolina are univoltine. As of 2021, our records extend from late May through mid-July.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: The natural habitats are poorly documented, with almost all of our records coming from semi-wooded residential neighborhoods.

Larval Host Plants: The hosts are unknown. Except for one species, the hosts of the more than 100 described species of Glyphidocera are unknown. This suggests that the larvae do not feed on living plant foliage, and are perhaps detritivores or fungivores. - View

Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.

Wikipedia

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S3S4

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

Comments: As of 2021, we have a few scattered records from throughout the state. We need additional information on the distribution, abundance, and habitat use before we can assess the conservation status of this species.

Photo Gallery for Glyphidocera democratica - None

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

	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-05-24 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-05-24 Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2024-07-07 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2024-06-25 Transylvania Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Steve Hall, Patrick Coin, Mark Basinger on 2024-06-16 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-06-11 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Tracy Feldman, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Patrick Coin, Becky Watkins on 2024-06-08 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-06-07 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-01 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-01 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-05-29 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-05-25 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-07-03 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-27 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-25 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-16 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-06 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Erich Hofmann, Jesse Anderson on 2023-05-22 New Hanover Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2023-05-21 New Hanover Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-06-26 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-06-11 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, L.M. Carlson, Becky Watkins on 2022-06-09 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2022-06-07 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Stefanie Hedrick on 2022-06-06 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2022-06-04 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-06-04 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2022-05-31 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2022-05-29 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2022-05-25 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Becky Watkins on 2022-05-25 Durham Co. Comment: