Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGelechiidae Members: Coleotechnites Members: 3 NC Records

Coleotechnites piceaella (Kearfott, 1903) - Orange Spruce Needleminer Moth

Coleotechnites piceaellaColeotechnites piceaella
view caption 		Coleotechnites piceaella
Taxonomy
Family:
Gelechiidae		Subfamily:
Gelechiinae		P3 Number:
59a0744		 MONA Number:
1826.00
Comments: The genus Coleotechnites includes 49 very small species that occur in North America. Most species are specialists on conifers and tend to feed on a single genus of host plant. Many of the Coleotechnites species have almost identical genitalia that are not very useful in delineating closely related forms (Freeman, 1960; 1965). Freeman (1960) noted that host plants and the mining characteristics often provide the most reliable way to identify closely related species.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1923)Technical Description, Immature Stages: McLeod (1966)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: This species has both light and dark forms. The following description of the light morph is mostly based on that of Forbes (1923). The head, thorax and ground color of the forewing are all straw-yellow, and the thorax has three black dots near the posterior tip. The second segment of the labial palp is straw-colored with a black streak or black dusting below, while the third segment is more whitish with two black bars on the apical half. The forewing has three dark fasciae or bands that are margined with pale white scales apically. The first is at around one-fifth the wing length from the base and extends about two-thirds inward from the costa to the fold. The second begins on the costa at around one-half and progressively tapers and curves apically before ending near the middle of the wing. The third is at around three-fourths, is outwardly angled at around 90 degrees, and is sharply margined with whitish scales that extend to the inner margin. A black dash is often present in the terminal area that extends to the apex, along with a series of five or six dark terminal spots below the fringe. Other marks include a series of equally-spaced, black dots of raised scales below the inner margin at around one-fourth, one-half and three-fourths. Matching dots are present inward from these and towards the middle of the wing. The hindwing varies from light straw-yellow to dark-brown. The dark morph is similar, but is heavily dusted with dark-brown to blackish scales that tend to obscure the overall patterning.

The description above is based on northern populations and may not be fully applicable to those in the southern Appalachians. Populations in North Carolina appear to be restricted to the highest elevations in the Blue Ridge where they feed on Red Spruce and Fraser Fir.
Adult Structural Features: The genitalia of this and other closely-related congeners are indistinguishable and of little use in sorting out species.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].
Immatures and Development: The larvae mostly mine the leaves of spruce trees, but occasionally use firs. The following life history account is based on that of Eiseman (2024) and mostly on observations made in Canada by McLeod (1966), who conducted a detailed life history study. The eggs hatch during the summer months and the larvae mine needles during the summer and fall that are loosely tied with silk. The first-instar larva enters a needle near the base, produces an irregular mine, then spins a silken gallery from the round entrance hole of the mine to either the stem or an adjacent needle. After mining out one needle, the larva moved to and mines an adjacent needle. This continues until 4-8 needles are mined. All frass is expelled from the mines, and some pellets may adhere to the webbing that binds the needles together. The larva enters hibernation in a silken gallery with the onset of shortening days and cold weather. In spring, it resumes feeding for about a week in its overwintering site, then moves to a new site on the foliage where it continue to mine needles as described above. Pupation takes place either in a silken cell, usually under a web at the base of the mined needles, or on the ground in leaf litter.

Eiseman (2024) noted that the feeding pattern often is more complex than the one described above (see McLeod, 1966). The young larvae are attracted to foliage, buds, and cones that have been damaged or killed by other feeding insects. Sometimes an egg is laid on a dead bud and the larva bores in this for at least part of its life. They may also feed in part on the damaged material while also mining healthy, nearby needles. In coastal Maine and Nova Scotia, the overwintering larva become active just after the new buds have opened. It mines the leaves in the new terminal growth and ties these into a loose bundle. The fully-grown larvae can reach 8 mm in length, and are light orange-brown with a dark brown head and prothoracic shield. Populations in North Carolina have been found at Mt. Mitchell and vicinity and appear to follow the life cycle described above, but more detailed observations are needed. Local populations appear to be univoltine throughout the range of this species.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Coleotechnites piceaella is mostly found in northern latitudes where it feeds of spruce and fir trees. It occurs across most of southern Canada from Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island westward to British Columbia and the Northwest Territories, and southward in the West to Oregon and Northern California. There are also records from Colorado. In the eastern US the range spans from Maine and other New England states westward to Ontario and Ohio, and southwestward to the higher peaks of the southern Appalachians. As of 2025, all of our records are from Mt. Mitchell and vicinity. This species is native to North America, but has been introduced to Europe where it is now widespread.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Coleotechnites piceaellaAlamance 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 Hanover 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.
Immature 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: immatures.
Flight Comments: The adults have been documented from April through August, with a seasonal peak from June through August. As of 2025, our very limited records are from July.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Our records come from stands of Spruce-fir Forests on Mt. Mitchell and adjoining areas of the Black Mountains.
Larval Host Plants: The larvae are needle-miners on both fir and spruce trees (Prentice, 1966; Rose and Lindquist, 1994). The reported hosts include Norway Spruce (Picea abies), White Spruce (P. glauca), Black Spruce (P. mariana), Colorado Spruce (P. pungens) and Red Spruce (P. rubens). In North Carolina, the mines and larvae have been found on Red Spruce and Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri). - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights; we recommend searching the foliage of Red Spruce and Fraser Fir for the larvae and mines.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for Spruce-Fir Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: [W-TH]
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR SNR [S1S2]
State Protection:
Comments: This species appears to be restricted to Mt. Mitchell and vicinity, where the population there is disjunct from the main range farther north. It primarily relies of Red Spruce as a host plant and may undergo long-term declines as the host plant declines in association with climate change.

 Photo Gallery for Coleotechnites piceaella - Orange Spruce Needleminer Moth

Photos: 5
Coleotechnites piceaella
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, Kaitlyn Elliott on 2025-10-11
Yancey Co.
Comment: A larva from a web on Fraser Fir. 		Coleotechnites piceaella
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, Kaitlyn Elliott on 2025-10-11
Yancey Co.
Comment:
Coleotechnites piceaella
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, Kaitlyn Elliott on 2025-10-11
Yancey Co.
Comment: 		Coleotechnites piceaella
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-09-08
Yancey Co.
Comment: Unoccupied mine was on Red Spruce.
Coleotechnites piceaella
Recorded by: J.B. Sullivan on 2019-07-30
Yancey Co.
Comment: