Moths of North Carolina
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Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Family (Alpha):
ACROLEPIIDAE-
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Opostegidae Members:
Pseudopostega cretea
Pseudopostega quadristrigella
Pseudopostega unidentified species
Pseudopostega
Members:
Pseudopostega cretea
Pseudopostega quadristrigella
Pseudopostega unidentified species
3 NC Records
Pseudopostega quadristrigella
(Chambers, 1875) - No Common Name
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Nepticuloidea
Family:
Opostegidae
Subfamily:
Oposteginae
Tribe:
[Opostegini]
P3 Number:
160113.00
MONA Number:
122.00
Comments:
The genus
Pseudopostega
contains a group of very small leaf mining moths. The adults have a conspicuous head tuft, a large basal eye cap on the antenna, and relatively short and broad bodies and wings. There are 84 described species in the New World, with the majority of these occurring in tropical and subtropical regions. Nine species occur in the US, but only three are found in North Carolina and adjoining states. Davis and Stonis (2007) published a monograph on
Pseudopostega
species of the New World that is the authoritative work on this genus.
Species Status:
Chambers originally described
P. quadristrigella
from a single specimen collected from Edmonson Co., Kentucky, but a type specimen has never been found. Davis and Stonis (2007) designated a neotype from Balsam, North Carolina, that was selected from a large series of specimens that Annette Braun collected in July 1911.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions:
Covell (1984; as
Opostega quadristrigella
)
Online Photographs:
MPG
,
BugGuide
,
GBIF
,
BOLD
Technical Description, Adults:
Davis and Stonis (2007)
Adult Markings:
Pseudopostega quadristrigella
is a small, mostly white moth with a conspicuous head tuft, a large basal eye cap, and a short, broad wing. The forewing is typically white, but sometimes has a suffusion of scattered brownish scales over the distal half. A median, distally oblique, dorsal spot is usually present. The spot is yellowish to dark brown, irregularly shaped, and usually depressed along the dorsal margin. There are usually two or three subapical strigulae that vary from yellowish to fuscous brown, and two or fewer tornal strigulae (these are sometimes missing altogether). Specimens that lack the median dorsal spot and have a distal suffusion of scattered brownish scales may have only a single costal strigula. The terminal cilia are white, but sometimes become cream-colored along the dorsal margin. The hindwing is usually yellowish brown to cream colored both dorsally and ventrally. The cilia vary from cream to pale yellowish brown, but are occasionally white. This species closely resembles other
Pseudopostega
in the region (
P. albogaleriella
;
P. cretea
) and reliable identification requires examination of the genitalia.
Forewing Length:
4.4-5.2 mm
Adult Structural Features:
Davis and Stonis (2007) recognized 14 groups of
Pseudopostega
based on the morphology of the genitalia and provided a key to the groups.
Pseudopostega quadristrigella
is a member of the
divaricata
group. The authors provide detailed descriptions and illustrations of the male and female genitalia. Features that are distinctive include the male gnathos that terminates in a variably furcate apical lobe. In addition, the basal fold is extremely narrow and slightly arched at the middle. The papillae anales of the female is bilobed, and consists of a pair of small, rounded, setose lobes on a narrow, elliptical base. Davis and Stonis (2007) noted that
P. quadristrigella
may be easily confused with
P. albogaleriella
, and the female genitalia are also somewhat similar in possessing a dense scattering of minute spines over much of the internal surface of the corpus bursae. The males of the two species are distinguished by the variably furcate caudal lobe of the gnathos of
P. quadristrigella
, compared to the spatulate form typical of
P. albogaleriella
.
Adult ID Requirements:
Identifiable only by close inspection of structural features or by DNA analysis.
Immatures and Development:
The larvae and pupae have never been discovered, and we have no information concerning the larval life history of this species.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
Pseudopostega quadristrigella
is widespread within the eastern and south-central USA from Maine to as far west as Oklahoma and Texas (Davis and Stonis, 2007). Populations appear to be rare in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont and there is an apparent disjunct population in South Dakota. As of 2019, all of our records are from lower-elevation sites in the Blue Ridge.
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