Moths of North Carolina

Scientific Name:	Common Name:		Family (Alpha): Choose a Family

Home

View PDF	Gelechiidae Members:	Aristotelia Members:	88 NC Records

Aristotelia roseosuffusella (Clemens, 1860) - Pink-washed Aristotelia

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Gelechioidea

Family:
Gelechiidae

Subfamily:
Anomologinae

P3 Number:
59a0670

MONA Number:
1761.00

Comments: The genus Aristotelia contains over 150 species of small moths that are found worldwide, with around 34 species in North America.

Species Status: Forbes (1932) placed A. roseosuffusella in the Roseosuffusella subgroup of the Pudibundella Group. Braun (1930) described A. lespedezae, A. callirrhoda, and A. psoraleae as also belonging to the Roseosuffusella group.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012); Leckie and Beadle (2018)

Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD

Technical Description, Adults: Clemens (1860); Forbes (1932)

Adult Markings: This is one of the easier Aristotelia species to identify, with its boldly contrasting black and white barring, white apical spot, and a pair of white costal and dorsal marks just before the apex. The following detailed description is based on that of Clemens (1860) and Forbes (1932). The head and thorax are yellowish brown, and the labial palp is elongated and extends almost to the thorax. The third segment is very long relative to the second, and has fine, irregular black and white longitudinal stripes rather than distinct annuli as seen in some Aristotelia species. A transverse black and white ring is present at the base of the palp. The antenna has uniformly alternating dark and white annulations along its entire length.

The forewing is yellowish brown along the inner margin and is often suffused with roseate coloration. The yellowish brown coloration extends to the wing base, where is often grades into or is replaced by a whitish band. Three conspicuous dark brown marks are present on the wing that are separated by contrasting whitish zones. The first is a band that begins on the costal near the base and slants posteriorly before narrowing and terminating at about two-thirds the wing depth. The second is a broad band that begin on the costa just before one-half and terminates at about the same point as the first. It tends to be about the same width throughout its length and has a posteriorly directed hook at the end. A shorter and more triangular dark costal mark is at three-fifths that often merges with the yellowish brown coloration on the dorsal half. A black dot is present where they meet. Immediately behind the dark costal mark there is a pair of whitish costal and dorsal marks that are separated by a short black dash. The white mark at the tornus is often heavily suffused with roseate coloration, and a white spot is present at the wing tip. The area between the paired white marks and the terminal spot is filled with yellowish brown to dark brown scales. The cilia are light gray to grayish brown with a darker line near the apex. The hindwing is dark fuscous-gray and the cilia fuscous. The legs are dark brown to blackish with contrasting white annulations.

Wingspan: 10 mm (Forbes, 1923)

Adult Structural Features: Forbes (1932) has illustrations of the male genitalia. Also, see images below.

Structural photos

Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.

Immatures and Development: The larval life history is rather poorly documented. Larvae at a site in Minnesota feed on Roundhead Lespedeza and fold the leaves together with webbing. They skeletonize the upper leaf surfaces, and finely granular frass is deposited beneath the webbing. The larvae are light bluish green with a series of seven wavy, reddish-brown stripes down the length of the body. The head capsule and prothoracic shield are amber colored (BugGuide). Terry Harrison has also observed the larvae folding and skeletonizing the leaves of several species of legumes in the Midwest (Eiseman, 2022).

Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Aristotelia roseosuffusella is widely distributed in North America and possibly into adjoining areas of Mexico. The range includes almost all of southern Canada from British Columbia to Prince Edward Island, as well as California, Colorado, and all of the eastern US. We have records from all three physiographic provinces. This species appears to be rare in the Coastal Plain, relatively common in the Piedmont, and somewhat uncommon in the mountains.

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: Adults are active nearly year-round in Florida, and from April through October in other areas outside of North Carolina. As of 2021, our records extend from mid-January through early November, with most between early May and late-October. There appear to be two or more broods per year.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: This species feeds primarily on legumes such as lespedezas and tick-trefoils. Most species are found in sunny to partially shaded habitats. These include the margins of agricultural fields, residential neighborhoods, roadsides, meadows, old fields, and open woodlands such as coastal pine forests.

Larval Host Plants: Members of several genera of legumes appear to be the primary hosts (Eiseman, 2019, 2022). The known hosts include species of Dalea, Desmodium, and Lespedeza, including Roundhead Lespedeza (Lespedeza capitata). A report of this species mining the leaves of Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) needs further verification (Eiseman, 2019), and records of it using Rhus coriaria, and a willow (Prentice, 1966; Robinson et al. 2010) are highly suspect. - View

Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights. More information is needed on host plant use in North Carolina, and we recommend searching for larvae and rearing the adults.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Leguminous Forb and Shrublands

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S4S5

State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.

Comments: This species appears to be secure within the state based on its statewide distribution and a substantial number of records.

Photo Gallery for Aristotelia roseosuffusella - Pink-washed Aristotelia

85 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-13 Rowan Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-13 Rowan Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George, Larry Chen, Sarah Toner, Joye Zhou on 2025-06-20 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-05-24 Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka, John Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-09 Cumberland Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson on 2025-02-04 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-09-28 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Stefanie Hedrick on 2024-08-22 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-08-20 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson on 2024-06-22 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Tim Foleu on 2023-09-09 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-09-01 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-08-10 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2023-02-23 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2022-09-04 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2022-09-01 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: R. Newman on 2022-08-20 Carteret Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-07-15 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-07-06 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-07-06 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-06-21 Caswell Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-06-20 Caswell Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-06-14 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-06-01 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-05-25 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-05-25 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-05-15 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2022-05-06 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David L. Heavner on 2022-02-22 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2021-10-15 Mecklenburg Co. Comment: