Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFBatrachedridae Members: Batrachedra Members: 2 NC Records

Batrachedra busiris Hodges, 1966 - No Common Name

Batrachedra busirisBatrachedra busirisBatrachedra busiris
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Gelechioidea		 Family:
Batrachedridae		P3 Number:
59a1670		 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 Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical 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. Also, see below.
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: Batrachedra busiris was originally described from Florida. It has since been found near Mobile, Alabama, and in the Houston-Galveston area of Texas. Our two records as of 2024 are from the Piedmont in Wake Co. and along the coast in Carteret County.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Batrachedra busirisAlamance 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: The adults are active year-round in Florida. Our one dated record as of 2024 is from mid-May.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: The larval ecology and habitat requirements are undocumented.
Larval Host Plants: The hosts are unknown. - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR SNR [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 - None

Photos: 3
Batrachedra busirisRecorded by: Kyle Kittelberger on 2020-05-17
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Batrachedra busirisRecorded by: Kyle Kittelberger on 2020-05-17
Wake Co.
Comment:
Batrachedra busirisRecorded by: J.B. Sullivan on 0000-00-00
Carteret Co.
Comment: