Moths of North Carolina
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Significant Contributors
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Family (Alpha):
ACROLEPIIDAE-
ADELIDAE-
AMPHISBATIDAE-
AUTOSTICHIDAE-
BATRACHEDRIDAE-
BEDELLIIDAE-
BLASTOBASIDAE-
BOMBYCIDAE-
BUCCULATRICIDAE-
CARPOSINIDAE-
CHOREUTIDAE-
COLEOPHORIDAE-
COSMOPTERIGIDAE-
COSSIDAE-
CRAMBIDAE-
DEPRESSARIIDAE-
DREPANIDAE-
ELACHISTIDAE-
EPERMENIIDAE-
EPIPYROPIDAE-
EREBIDAE-Erebid Moths
ERIOCRANIIDAE-
EUTELIIDAE-
GALACTICIDAE-
GELECHIIDAE-
GEOMETRIDAE-
GLYPHIDOCERIDAE-
GLYPHIPTERIGIDAE-
GRACILLARIIDAE-
HELIOZELIDAE-
HEPIALIDAE-
HYBLAEIDAE-
INCURVARIIDAE-
LASIOCAMPIDAE-
LECITHOCERIDAE-Long-horned Moths
LIMACODIDAE-
LYONETIIDAE-
MEGALOPYGIDAE-Flannel Moths
MICROPTERIGIDAE-
MIMALLONIDAE-
MOMPHIDAE-Mompha Moths
NEPTICULIDAE-
NOCTUIDAE-Owlet Moths
NOLIDAE-
NOTODONTIDAE-
OECOPHORIDAE-
OPOSTEGIDAE-
PELEOPODIDAE-
PLUTELLIDAE-
PRODOXIDAE-
PSYCHIDAE-Bagworm Moths
PTEROPHORIDAE-
PYRALIDAE-
SATURNIIDAE-Saturniids
SCHRECKENSTEINIIDAE-
SESIIDAE-
SPHINGIDAE-Sphinx Moths
THYATIRIDAE-
THYRIDIDAE-
TINEIDAE-
TISCHERIIDAE-
TORTRICIDAE-
URANIIDAE-
URODIDAE-
XYLORYCTIDAE-
YPONOMEUTIDAE-
YPSOLOPHIDAE-
ZYGAENIDAE-
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Gelechiidae Members:
Agnippe prunifoliella
Anacampsini new genus new species
Anacampsis agrimoniella
Anacampsis conclusella
Anacampsis consonella
Anacampsis coverdalella
Anacampsis fragariella
Anacampsis levipedella
Anacampsis lupinella
Anacampsis New Species one
Anacampsis rhoifructella
Anacampsis tristrigella
Anacampsis unidentified species
Anarsia lineatella
Arcutelphusa talladega
Aristotelia callirrhoda
Aristotelia fungivorella
Aristotelia isopelta
Aristotelia lespedezae
Aristotelia monilella
Aristotelia pudibundella
Aristotelia roseosuffusella
Aristotelia rubidella
Aristotelia unidentified species
Aroga argutiola
Aroga compositella
Aroga epigaeella
Aroga trialbamaculella
Aroga trialbamaculella complex
Aroga unidentified species
Arogalea cristifasciella
Battaristis concinnusella
Battaristis new species
Battaristis nigratomella
Battaristis unidentified species
Battaristis vittella
Besciva n. sp.
Caryocolum pullatella
Chionodes adamas
Chionodes baro
Chionodes bicostomaculella
Chionodes cacula
Chionodes continuella
Chionodes dentella
Chionodes discoocellella
Chionodes fondella
Chionodes formosella
Chionodes fuscomaculella
Chionodes hibiscella
Chionodes imber
Chionodes lactans
Chionodes mediofuscella
Chionodes new species 2
Chionodes obscurusella
Chionodes pereyra
Chionodes pseudofondella
Chionodes rabula
Chionodes rectifex
Chionodes sevir
Chionodes soter
Chionodes suasor
Chionodes tarmes
Chionodes thoraceochrella
Chionodes unidentified species
Coleotechnites albicostata
Coleotechnites apicitripunctella
Coleotechnites atrupictella
Coleotechnites canusella
Coleotechnites carbonaria
Coleotechnites citriella
Coleotechnites coniferella
Coleotechnites florae
Coleotechnites macleodi
Coleotechnites new species
Coleotechnites obliquistrigella
Coleotechnites piceaella
Coleotechnites quercivorella
Coleotechnites unidentified species
Coleotechnites variiella
Deltophora sella
Dichomeris aglaia
Dichomeris agonia
Dichomeris bilobella
Dichomeris bipunctellus
Dichomeris bolize
Dichomeris caia
Dichomeris citrifoliella
Dichomeris costarufoella
Dichomeris crepida
Dichomeris fistuca
Dichomeris flavocostella
Dichomeris furia
Dichomeris georgiella
Dichomeris glenni
Dichomeris heriguronis
Dichomeris inserrata
Dichomeris inversella
Dichomeris juncidella
Dichomeris kimballi
Dichomeris laetitia
Dichomeris ligulella
Dichomeris marginella
Dichomeris nenia
Dichomeris new species 2
Dichomeris new species 4
Dichomeris nonstrigella
Dichomeris ochripalpella
Dichomeris offula
Dichomeris pelta
Dichomeris punctidiscellus
Dichomeris punctipennella
Dichomeris purpureofusca
Dichomeris setosella
Dichomeris siren
Dichomeris unidentified species
Dichomeris vacciniella
Dichomeris ventrellus
Dichomeris xanthoa
Enchrysa dissectella
Exoteleia anomala
Exoteleia pinifoliella complex
Fascista bimaculella
Fascista cercerisella
Fascista quinella
Filatima ornatifimbriella
Filatima persicaeella
Filatima pseudacaciella
Filatima serotinella
Filatima unidentified species
Filatima xanthuris
Frumenta nundinella
Gelechia albisparsella
Gelechiidae unidentified species
Glauce pectenalaeella
Gnorimoschema gallaeasterella
Gnorimoschema gallaesolidaginis
Gnorimoschema terracottella
Gnorimoschema unidentified species
Helcystogramma hystricella
Helcystogramma melanocarpa
Helcystogramma melantherella
Holophysis emblemella
Isophrictis anteliella
Isophrictis rudbeckiella
Isophrictis unidentified species
Keiferia inconspicuella
Keiferia unidentified species
Mesophleps adustipennis
Metzneria lappella
Monochroa disconotella
Monochroa gilvolinella
Monochroa monactis
Monochroa pullusella
Monochroa quinquepunctella
Monochroa unidentified species
Neotelphusa sequax
Phthorimaea operculella
Polyhymno luteostrigella
Prostomeus brunneus
Pseudochelaria pennsylvanica
Pseudochelaria walsinghami
Pseudotelphusa fuscopunctella
Pseudotelphusa palliderosacella
Pseudotelphusa quercinigracella
Pseudotelphusa unidentified species
Pubitelphusa latifasciella
Sinoe chambersi
Sinoe kwakae
Sinoe robiniella
Sinoe unidentified species
Sitotroga cerealella
Stegasta bosqueella
Stereomita andropogonis
Strobisia iridipennella
Symmetrischema capsica
Symmetrischema pallidochrella
Symmetrischema striatella
Symmetrischema unidentified species
Taygete attributella
Taygete gallaegenitella
Telphusa longifasciella
Telphusa perspicua
Theisoa constrictella
Trypanisma prudens
Untomia albistrigella
Xenolechia aethiops
Chionodes
Members:
Chionodes adamas
Chionodes baro
Chionodes bicostomaculella
Chionodes cacula
Chionodes continuella
Chionodes dentella
Chionodes discoocellella
Chionodes fondella
Chionodes formosella
Chionodes fuscomaculella
Chionodes hibiscella
Chionodes imber
Chionodes lactans
Chionodes mediofuscella
Chionodes new species 2
Chionodes obscurusella
Chionodes pereyra
Chionodes pseudofondella
Chionodes rabula
Chionodes rectifex
Chionodes sevir
Chionodes soter
Chionodes suasor
Chionodes tarmes
Chionodes thoraceochrella
Chionodes unidentified species
6 NC Records
Chionodes formosella
(Murtfeldt, 1881) - Spring Oak Leafroller Moth
No image for this species.
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Gelechioidea
Family:
Gelechiidae
Subfamily:
Gelechiinae
Tribe:
Gelechiini
P3 Number:
420887.00
MONA Number:
2077.00
Comments:
The genus
Chionodes
is the most species rich genus of gelechiid moths in the Western Hemisphere, with 187 recognized species. Our knowledge of the diverse array of species in North America is largely due to the monumental work of Hodges (1999), who spend decades working on the group and described 115 new species (Powell and Opler, 2009). Many exhibit substantial variation within species and have drab coloration, typically with brown, dark gray, or blackish patterning on the forewings. These can only be confidently identified by examining secondary sexual characteristics and/or the genitalia of one or both sexes. Others are more boldly marked and can be identified by wing patterning. Many of our state records are based on Hodges (1999) database of over 19,000 specimens that he examined from major collections in the US. These include North Carolina specimens that he collected mostly from Highlands, and from a few other areas within the state.
Species Status:
Hodges (1999) noted that the genitalia of
Chionodes abitus
,
C. argentipunctella
,
C. formosella
,
C. fuscomaculella
,
C. bicostomaculella
,
C. hapsus
,
C. iridescens
,
C. powelli
and
C. suasor
are so similar that they cannot be readily distinguished using only genitalic characters. These taxa form the
formosella
-complex.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions:
Beadle and Leckie (2012)
Online Photographs:
MPG
,
BugGuide
,
iNaturalist
,
Google
,
BAMONA
,
GBIF
,
BOLD
Technical Description, Adults:
Hodges (1999)
Adult Markings:
The following description is based on that of Hodges (1999). The head and thorax are mainly dark gray. The antenna is very dark gray, and nearly black on the dorsal surface. The second segment of the labial palp is slightly reddish brown on the distal part of the scale tuft. The third segment is mostly black, except for a white base that has a few gray scales on the distal half. The forewing ground color is medium to dark gray on the basal two-thirds, and very dark gray to black on the apical third. An irregular, oblique, black band is present at one-half the wing length. It extends from the costal margin to beyond the fold, but does not reach the inner margin. A prominent costal white mark is present at three-fourths the wing length, and there is a matching one on the inner margin that is smaller and sometimes rather faint. There are usually a few pale yellowish to orange-gray scales that follow a nearly black spot at one-half the length of the cell, and precede a similar mark at the end of the cell. The legs are blackish with pale yellowish white bands and annulations. The tibial spurs are pale yellowish white, with a few medium-gray scales on the outer surface. The abdomen is shining gray dorsally. This species is similar to
Chionodes fuscomaculella
, but the apical one-third is uniformly dark colored and lacks the grainy salt-and-pepper texture of
C. fuscomaculella
. The colored scales usually are shades of orange gray, not yellow as is more typical of
C. fuscomaculella
. Males of
C. formosella
also lack hair pencils on the hindwing.
Forewing Length:
6.5-8.0 mm Hodges (1999)
Adult Structural Features:
Hodges (1999) has detailed descriptions and illustrations of the male and female genitalia. This species is a member of the
formosella
-complex, which is a cluster of species with nearly identical genitalia.
Adult ID Requirements:
Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development:
The larvae feed almost exclusively on oaks. They are present early in the growing season, and typically begin feeding before the newly formed leaves have toughened. The larvae live and feed within leaf rolls or folded young leaves during April through May and skeletonize the surfaces (Hodges 1999; Marquis et al., 2019). Pupation occurs within a leaf fold. Forbes (1923) reported that larvae are present in May in New York, with the adults emerging in July. The larvae of members of the
formosella
complex have not been fully described. The head capsule and prothoracic shield of the mature larvae of species that have been studied (including
C. formosella
) are either shiny black or reddish brown with some black shading. The prothoracic leg is as dark as the other thoracic legs. The anterior margin of the mesothorax is white, and the remainder chocolate brown. The anterior half of the metathorax is white. The posterior portion of the metathorax and all abdominal segments are concolorous, and have six broad dorsal and sub-dorsal longitudinal stripes that are red to reddish brown on a bright white to gray background. The stripes merge at the anal shield (Marquis et al., 2019).
Larvae ID Requirements:
Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
Chionodes formosella
occurs from Nova Scotia to southwestern Manitoba, and south along the Appalachians to North Carolina and to eastern Missouri (Hodges, 1999). As of 2021, we have records from both lower and higher elevation sites in the Blue Ridge 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:
Hodges (1999) reported the flight season to be from early-May to late-September, with a peak in seasonal activity from late May to mid-August. Records for North Carolina that were identified by Hodges (1999) were from November, January, and February, which are inconsistent with other records and are likely rearing records.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
This species is generally associated with hardwood forests with oaks, and typically from habitats with mesic to somewhat drier soil conditions.
Larval Host Plants:
The known hosts include oaks and Hop-hornbeam (
Ostrya virginiana
). The adults have been reared from White Oak (
Q. alba
), Shingle Oak (
Q. imbricaria
), Laurel Oak (
Q. laurifolia
), Northern Red Oak (
Q. rubra
), and Black Oak (
Q. velutina
) (Heppner, 2003; Hodges, 1999). Marquis et al. (2019) found larvae that are consistent with this species on additional oaks in Missouri, including Scarlet Oak (
Q. coccinea
), Blackjack Oak (
Q. marilandica
), Post Oak (
Q. stellata
). -
View
Observation Methods:
The adults are attracted to lights. We need more information on the larval ecology and life history of this species in North Carolina, so we encourage individuals to seek out and document aspects of the larval biology.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks:
GNR SU
State Protection:
Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:
We currently do not have sufficient information on the distribution and abundance of this species to assess its conservation status.