Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Gelechiidae Members:	Battaristis Members:	54 NC Records

Battaristis nigratomella (Clemens, 1863) - Black-faced Twirler

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Gelechioidea

Family:
Gelechiidae

Subfamily:
Anacampsinae

P3 Number:
59a0468

MONA Number:
2227.00

Comments: The genus Battaristis contains 31 described species that are mostly found in the New World. Most species are found in South America, and only five are currently recognized in North America.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Leckie and Beadle (2018)

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

Technical Description, Adults: Forbes (1923)

Adult Markings: The upper head, thorax and ground color of the forewing are light yellowish brown to grayish brown. The face is somewhat lighter and the underside of the head is black. The antenna is pale yellowish with inconspicuous darker annulations. The second joint of the labial palp is fuscous to blackish externally except at the extreme tip where it is lighter. The terminal joint is whitish to grayish white with a dark external fuscous line. The forewing ground color tends to be darkest on the dorsal two-thirds and often is noticeably lighter on the costal one-third, particularly on the basal half of the wing. The apical portion of the wing has a matching pair of posteriorly oblique white streaks at about three-fourths the wing length. These begin on the costal and dorsal margins and extend to the middle of the wing where the apices nearly touch. There is a small black subapical spot behind these that is followed by a well-developed dark marginal line through the cila. In additional to the subapical spot, two or more small black blotches are often present in the dorsal half between the paired streaks and the wing base. The costa has a short oblique, dark brown to blackish streak at about one-half the wing length. This is followed by a short white streak and a second dark streak that margins the longer costal streak at three-fourths. Between the paired streaks and the apex, there is a series of alternating dark and light bars that terminate at the dark marginal line in the cilia. The hindwing and cilia vary from grayish to light brown. The legs are blackish with whitish annulations on the tarsi.

This species is similar to Battaristis concinusella, but tends to be lighter overall, and the costal one-third of the wing on the basal half is lighter than the dorsal two-thirds. Battaristis concinusella tends to be less two-toned on the basal half of the forewing, and has the apical third of the wing more heavily speckled or dusted with whitish or light silvery gray scales relative to B. nigratomella. The postmedial costal line at about three-fourths is also faint relative to that of B. nigratomella.

Wingspan: 9 mm (Forbes, 1923)

Structural photos

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

Immatures and Development: The larval life history is undocumented.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Battaristis nigratomella is found primarily in eastern North America, with a few isolated records in the West from British Columbia, Alberta, Washington State, California, Arizona, and Colorado. In the East, the range extends from the New England states and adjoining areas of extreme southern Canada (Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia) southward to Florida and westward to eastern Texas, eastern Oklahoma, Illinois, and Minnesota. We have records from all three physiographic provinces within the state, with most from the Coastal Plain and Piedmont.

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: The adults have been found from March through October in areas outside of North Carolina, with a seasonal peak in May through August. As of 2021, our records extend from March through late-September.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: The preferred habitats are poorly documented due to a lack of information on the host plants. Our records come from a variety of habitats that include semi-wooded residential neighborhoods, dry ridges, coastal sites with sandy soils, and more mesic hardwood and mixed pine-hardwood forests.

Larval Host Plants: The hosts are undocumented. - View

Observation Methods: The adults come to lights.

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 have scattered records from throughout the state, but need more information on the host plants and this species distribution and abundance before we can assess its conservation status.

Photo Gallery for Battaristis nigratomella - Black-faced Twirler

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

	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George, Larry Chen, Sarah Toner, Joye Zhou on 2025-06-20 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka, Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-08 Harnett Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-04-19 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-08-31 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-08-22 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Stephen Dunn on 2024-06-29 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2024-04-29 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2024-04-16 New Hanover Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2024-04-14 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-09-15 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-09-07 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2023-08-23 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2023-08-23 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2023-07-22 Cumberland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2023-07-22 Cumberland Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Steve Hall, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Becky Watkins on 2023-07-22 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-21 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-12 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-06 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-04 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-18 New Hanover Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Steve Hall, David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-04-29 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George on 2023-04-15 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-04-12 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-04-12 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn on 2023-04-05 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2023-04-03 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2023-03-27 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2022-09-17 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2022-09-17 Mecklenburg Co. Comment: