Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGelechiidae Members: Chionodes Members: 1 NC Records

Chionodes dentella (Busck, 1903) - No Common Name

Chionodes dentella
Taxonomy
Family:
Gelechiidae 		Subfamily:
Gelechiinae		Tribe:
Gelechiini		P3 Number:
59a0944		 MONA Number:
2071.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Hodges (1999)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Chionodes dentella is a distinctively marked species with contrasting cream-colored markings on a dark background. The following description is based on that of Hodges (1999). The labial palp is off-white, with dark-brown scales present on the lateral surface of the first segment, at the base of the second segment, and as a subapical ring on the third segment. The top of the head and thorax are off-white, while the antenna is black above. The forewing is mainly dark-brown to black, with an off-white or cream-colored longitudinal band that extends along the inner margin from the wing base to two-thirds the wing length. The band has an inward bulge at around one-fourth the wing length and ends with a transverse extension. The extension in some specimens may terminate near the center of the wing, but in others can reach all the way to the costa. It is followed by an off-white costal spot and an opposing tornal spot at around three-fourths the wing length. The hindwing is brown, and the outer portions of the legs predominantly black with off-white banding.
Forewing Length: 4.0-7.6 mm (Hodges, 1999).
Adult Structural Features: Hodges (1999) has detailed descriptions and illustrations of the male and female genitalia.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
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 dentella is restricted to southern latitudes and warmer climates in the US where it is found in a broad band from Florida to central California. The range extends from Florida westward across southern Alabama, southern Mississippi, and southern Louisiana. From there, it continues westward through most of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona to western Nevada and southern and central California. As of 2025, we have a single record from Fort Macon State Park on the coast.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Chionodes dentellaAlamance 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.