Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGelechiidae Members: Chionodes Members: 2 NC Records

Chionodes suasor Hodges, 1999 - No Common Name

Chionodes suasorChionodes suasor
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Gelechioidea		 Family:
Gelechiidae		Subfamily:
Gelechiinae		P3 Number:
59a0895		 MONA Number:
2061.30
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Hodges (1999).                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Chionodes suasor is best identified by its distinctly pale, yellowish-gray and orangish-brown forewing that has two prominent dark-gray or brownish marks on the costal margin, with one at around one-third the length of the wing from the base, and the second at around two-thirds. This, in combination with the genitalia being typical of the formosella-complex, and with structural features of the wings (Hodges, 1999), can be used to separate it from all other Chionodes species in North America.

The following detailed description is based on that of Hodges (1999). The first segment of the labial palp is dark-brown laterally and yellowish-white mesially, while the second segment is mainly yellowish-white with dark-brown scales at one-third and two-thirds the length. The third segment is dark-brown, with yellowish-white at the base and apex. The frons varies from yellowish-white to grayish-white, while the head is pale yellowish-gray, with gray at or just before the apex of individual scales. The forewing is pale, yellowish-gray and orangish-brown with two prominent dark-gray or brownish marks on the costal margin. The first is at around one-third the length of the wing from the base, and the second at around two-thirds. Both marks typically have diffuse, irregular, opposing blotches near the center or opposing edge of the wing, along with a similar terminal blotch. The hindwing is brown with a narrow, pale, basal line on the fringe. Hodges (1999) noted that specimens vary from having a distinctly yellowish-gray forewing to others having a pale grayish-brown hue.
Forewing Length: 5.3-6.8 mm (Hodges, 1999).
Adult Structural Features: Hodges (1999) has descriptions and illustrations of the male and female genitalia. Also, see illustrations below of the genitalia of North Carolina specimens.
Genitalia and other structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable only by close inspection of structural features or by DNA analysis.
Immatures and Development: As of 2025, the larval life history is undocumented.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Chionodes suasor is found in the eastern US (MPG; Hodges, 1999), with the known range including east-central Texas, and portions of Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina, northeastern Kentucky and northern Indiana. As of 2025, we have a record from both the Blue Ridge and a riparian forest in the Sandhills.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Chionodes suasorAlamance 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.
Flight Comments: Adults have been observed from April through October in different areas of the range. As of 2025, our two records are from 14 June and 15 July.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Both of our records are from areas with hardwood forests.
Larval Host Plants: As of 2025, the host plants are apparently undocumented. - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S2S3]
State Protection:
Comments: Chionodes suasor appears to be rare in North Carolina, but this may be in part due to the need for identification based on genitalia.

 Photo Gallery for Chionodes suasor - None

Photos: 2
Chionodes suasor
Recorded by: J.B. Sullivan on 2023-06-14
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Chionodes suasor
Recorded by: J.B. Sullivan on 2023-06-14
Richmond Co.
Comment: