Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFBatrachedridae Members: 1 NC Records

Batrachedra busiris Hodges, 1966 - No Common Name

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Gelechioidea Family: BatrachedridaeP3 Number: 421670.00 MONA Number: 1406.00
Comments: The genus Batrachedra has 19 Nearctic species that exploit a wide diversity of plant hosts.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONATechnical Description, Adults: Hodges (1966)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: This is a tiny moth. The antenna has dark spotting near the tip, and the forewing has a prominent pale yellow median streak with two dark spots. The following detailed description is based on that of Hodges (1966). The head is yellow-buff. The labial palp is ascending to slightly recurved, and is yellow-buff with brown on the lateral surface of the second segment. The antenna is about four-fifths the wing length and is held back along the wings when at rest. It is yellow-buff with faint darker annulations, except near the tip where there are four dark brown sections that alternate with yellow-buff sections. The thorax is yellow-buff, with the tegula pale brown anteriorly. The forewing is orange-brown dorsally and costally, and the costal margin tends to be darker at the base. A broad, pale yellow streak extends from the base to the apex, and there are two associated dark brown to brownish-black spots. The first is at two-fifths the wing length and is often larger and more elongated, while the second is at four-fifths and within the pale streak. The cilia and the hindwing are pale yellow. The abdomen is yellow-buff to pale yellow, and the legs are yellowish with varying amounts of brownish blotches on the proximal sections. Hodges (1966) noted that individuals vary in the width of the medial yellow streak (from very narrow to broad), and the intensity of the red-brown coloration on the forewings.
Wingspan: 5.0-11.5 mm
Adult Structural Features: Hodges (1966) has descriptions and illustrations of the male and female genitalia.
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: Batrachedra busiris was originally described from Florida. It has since been found near Mobile, Alabama, and in the Houston-Galveston area of Texas. Our one record from the Piedmont in Wake Co. may indicate the presence of a northern disjunct population within the state.
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: The adults are active year-round in Florida. Our one record as of 2021 was from mid-May.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: The larval ecology and habitat requirements are undocumented.
Larval Host Plants: The hosts are unknown.
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR SU
State Protection:
Comments: This species is presumably rare in North Carolina, but more detailed information is needed on its distribution and abundance before we can assess its conservation status.

 Photo Gallery for Batrachedra busiris - No common name

Photos: 2

Recorded by: Kyle Kittelberger on 2020-05-17
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Kyle Kittelberger on 2020-05-17
Wake Co.
Comment: