Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Gelechiidae Members:	Exoteleia Members:	46 NC Records

Exoteleia pinifoliella complex none - Pine Needleminer Moth Complex

Taxonomy

Family:
Gelechiidae

Subfamily:
Gelechiinae

P3 Number:
0.00

MONA Number:
1840.05

Comments: The genus Exoteleia contains a group of micromoths that feed on pine needles. Issues concerning the actual number of Exoteleia species that occur in eastern North America have been particularly challenging for taxonomists to resolve. Hodges (1985) was the first to seriously tackle this issue, and after going through the described species concluded that it was not possible to resolve the question of separation of species in Nearctic Exoteleia. Adamski et al. (2010) barcoded specimens from the eastern North America and found four rather weakly differentiated genetic groups. Genetic distances ranged from 0.04 - 3.03%, and support for the groups was only moderate. They entertained two hypotheses: either that these are four weakly differentiated species, or they represent a single variable species with different haplotypes that reflect the species' phylogeographic history through ancestral polymorphism, host races, or some other biological pattern. They concluded that the available evidence was insufficient to make a convincing argument either way. They also found that all other attributes that have been reported in the literature (i.e., adult coloration, genitalia, larval hosts, immatures, geographic distribution) are either insufficient or not congruent with each other, and do not support species separation. Adamski et al. (2010) suggested that members of the four clusters be referred to as the 'Exoteleia pinifoliella complex’ until additional studies are completed. Here we include records of species that were previously treated as E. pinifoliella, E. anomala, and perhaps other related eastern North American forms that fall into the Exoteleia pinifoliella complex. Exoteleia chillcotti is treated as a separate species as currently recognized in the most recent North American checklist, and a small, dark, gray-headed form that Hodges (1985) treated as an undescribed species in the eastern US is treated here as 'Exoteleia new species 1' (see the Maryland Biodiversity site for images and details).

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions:

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

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

Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution:

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

Habitats and Life History

Habitats:

Larval Host Plants: The larvae of this complex are pine specialists. Eiseman (2022) reports the following host species: Shortleaf Pine (Pinus echinata), Longleaf Pine (P. palustris), Table Mountain Pine (P. pungens), Red Pine (P. resinosa), Pitch Pine (P. rigida), Loblolly Pine (P. taeda), and Virginia Pine (P. virginiana). Since the pinifoliella species complex has yet to be resolved, the actual species for these host records are unknown, and it is possible that they may have different host preferences. - View

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Pine Forests and Woodlands

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR SNR [S3S4]

State Protection:

Comments:

Photo Gallery for Exoteleia pinifoliella complex - Pine Needleminer Moth Complex

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

	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-06-20 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-06-20 Madison Co. Comment: Female (dissected).
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Kevin Bischof on 2024-08-07 Transylvania Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Patrick Coin on 2024-06-22 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-17 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-16 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-06-07 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-04-25 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2024-04-17 New Hanover Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2024-04-16 New Hanover Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Chuck Smith on 2023-09-05 Davidson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Becky Watkins on 2023-07-30 Swain Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-06 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-07-03 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2023-05-31 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-05-26 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2023-05-20 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-05-12 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-05-31 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-05-29 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-05-29 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-05-28 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-05-01 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-05-01 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Vin Stanton on 2020-07-05 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Vin Stanton on 2020-07-05 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-06-06 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Kyle Kittelberger on 2020-05-17 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Kyle Kittelberger on 2020-05-17 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-05-02 Guilford Co. Comment: