Moths of North Carolina
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Common Name:
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View PDFCosmopterigidae Members: Eralea Members: 8 NC Records

Eralea albalineella (Chambers, 1878) - No Common Name


Eralea albalineellaEralea albalineellaEralea albalineella
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Gelechioidea
Family:
Cosmopterigidae
Subfamily:
Cosmopteriginae
P3 Number:
59a0385
MONA Number:
1501.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: (Hodges, 1962)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The following description is based primarily on those of Hodges (1962, 1978). The labial palp is brown with a dorsal and a ventral buff line on the second and third segments. The antenna is cream white except for the dark dorsal surface of the scape. The face and vertex are buff-white. The thorax is brown with three blue-white lines, two lateral and one medial. The ground color of the forewing is brownish-black and is overlain with buff-white lines. The most prominent mark is a buff-white, longitudinal line that extends from the wing base towards the middle of the wing to just beyond one-half, where it then angles towards the dorsal margin at two thirds. It intersects with a thinner line that begins along the costal margin just beyond the base and meets the first line at about one-half the wing length. A third line begins on the costal margin at about one-half and slowly angles away posteriorly before ending just before the middle of the wing at about three-fourths. A final short line (often broken) is present at about five-sixths and projects towards the wing tip. The costal cilia are buff, and the apical cilia buff basally and brown distally. The dorsal cilia are buff with some brown flecks. The hindwing is buff and the cilia are gray. The legs are buff with grayish-brown banding that is most prominent on the forelegs.
Wingspan: 8-9 mm (Hodges, 1962)
Forewing Length: 3.5 to 3.8 mm (Hodges, 1978)
Adult Structural Features: Hodges (1962) 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: Eralea albalineella is found in the US at mostly southern latitudes. The main range extends from central Texas and Arkansas eastward along the Gulf Coast states to Florida, then northward to North Carolina, southern Virginia, and West Virginia. Disjuncts occur in Colorado and southern California. As of 2021, we have records from the Piedmont and at a lower elevation site in the mountains.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Eralea albalineellaAlamance 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 November in areas outside of North Carolina, with most records occurring from July through September. As of 2021, our records are from June and July.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: The preferred habitats are unknown. Our records are from partially wooded residential neighborhoods, but it is uncertain if hardwoods are required for reproduction.
Larval Host Plants: The hosts are unknown and the larval life history is undocumented. - View
Observation Methods: The adults occasionally visit lights.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR SU
State Protection:
Comments: This species appears to be uncommon throughout its range, but this could merely reflect the fact that adults are not strongly attracted to lights. We need more information on its distribution, abundance, and habitat requirements before we can assess its conservation status.

 Photo Gallery for Eralea albalineella - None

Photos: 12
Eralea albalineellaRecorded by: Ed Corey on 2022-09-17
Martin Co.
Comment:
Eralea albalineellaRecorded by: David George on 2022-06-19
Durham Co.
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Eralea albalineellaRecorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-06-19
Guilford Co.
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Eralea albalineellaRecorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-06-19
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Eralea albalineellaRecorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-06-10
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Eralea albalineellaRecorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-06-10
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Eralea albalineellaRecorded by: Simpson Eason on 2021-07-10
Durham Co.
Comment:
Eralea albalineellaRecorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2020-06-26
Mecklenburg Co.
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Eralea albalineellaRecorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2020-06-26
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Eralea albalineellaRecorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2019-06-10
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Eralea albalineellaRecorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2019-06-10
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Eralea albalineellaRecorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2019-06-10
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: