Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGelechiidae Members:
Aristotelia Members:
11 NC Records

Aristotelia monilella Barnes & Busck, 1920 - No Common Name


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Taxonomy
Superfamily: Gelechioidea Family: GelechiidaeSubfamily: GelechiinaeTribe: GelechiiniP3 Number: 420662.00 MONA Number: 1748.00
Comments: The genus Aristotelia contains over 150 species of small moths that are found worldwide, with around 34 species in North America.
Species Status: This species was described in 1920 from specimens collected near Southern Pines and only a few specimens have been collected since then from scattered locations in the eastern US.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Barnes and Busck (1920)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: This is a distinctively marked Aristotelia, with three bold white marks on the forewing. The following is based on the original description by Barnes and Busck (1920). The labial palp is white, and the second joint has an indistinct brown annulation near the tip. The terminal joint has two broad, blackish brown annulations. The face, head and collar are yellowish white, and the thorax is golden brown. The forewing ground color is light golden brown. At the basal fourth there is a white transverse streak that is outwardly oblique. It is widest on the costa and becomes attenuated towards the dorsum, where it does not quite reach the dorsal edge. On the middle of the costa there is a triangular white spot that is equilateral, and reaches to the middle of the wing. At the apical fourth there is an inwardly directed triangular white streak that reaches to about the middle of the wing. All of these white marks terminate on the dorsal edge in small white spots. The apical and terminal edges of the wing are broadly velvety black, with conspicuous tufts of metallic blue scales around the margin. The cilia are dark brown with white tips. The undersides of both wings are brown, and both have a large white spot at the apical fourth. The abdomen is black, with each joint tipped with silvery white. The legs are dark brown, with white bars and tarsal annulations.
Wingspan: 12-13 mm (Barnes and Busck, 1920)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The larval life history in undocumented.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Aristotelia monilella was described in 1920 from specimens collected at Southern Pines and has not been collected in North Carolina since then until 2021, when three specimens were documented in Moore and Scotland Cos. This species has been recorded at a few other sites in the eastern US, including northern Illinois, southeastern Kentucky, and the Florida panhandle.
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)

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