Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGelechiidae Members: Strobisia Members: 4 NC Records

Strobisia proserpinella Frey and Boll, 1878 - Tragic Goddess

Strobisia proserpinella
Taxonomy
Family:
Gelechiidae		Subfamily:
Anacampsinae		Tribe:
Anacampsini		P3 Number:
59a0497		 MONA Number:
2254.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Strobisia proserpinella is a strikingly marked small moth with a shiny, deep-brown forewing that is marked with bright iridescent blue lines and spots. Specimens typically have four lines that begin on or near the costa (Forbes, 1923). The first three are posteriorly oblique lines that begin at around one-fifth, two-fifths, and three-fifths the wing length from the base and are roughly parallel to one another. The first is curved backwards and terminates beyond the center of the wing, while the second and third are relatively straight and shorter, with the middle line the shortest of the three. The fourth is at around four-fifths the wing length, very short and projects anteriorly. The inner margin has a single short line between the second and third costal line that projects slightly anteriorly. In addition to the major lines, specimens often have a cluster of iridescent blue or purplish scales in the subterminal area near the tornus. The terminal fringe is silvery-gray with a gray basal band. The antenna has alternating off-white and dark-brown annulations, and the labial palp is long, recurved and finely-tapered.

Strobisia iridipennella closely resembles S. proserpinella, but the first costal line is much shorter on S. iridipennella, spots are present below the inner margin, and the short blue line that projects inward from the inner margin between the second and third costal lines is missing.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: As of 2025, we are unaware of any documentation of the larval life history.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Strobisia proserpinella is restricted to the eastern US and has mid-western and southern affinities. The range extends from Illinois, southern Iowa and eastern Nebraska, southward to Missouri, eastern Kansas, eastern Oklahoma and eastern Texas, then eastward through Tennessee, Arkansas, and Louisiana to Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. As of 2025, our records are all from a cluster of sites in the east-central Piedmont.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Strobisia proserpinellaAlamance 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: The adults have been observed from March through September in different areas of the range. As of 2025, our records are from late-April through early-July.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Although the preferred habitats are poorly documented, this species appears to have affinities with prairies and grasslands. As of 2025, the few records that we have are mostly from fragmented landscapes in the Piedmont.
Larval Host Plants: The host plants are undocumented.
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights and are commonly found perched on vegetation during the day where they often engage in rapid, circular, dancing movements.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks:
State Protection:
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Strobisia proserpinella - Tragic Goddess

Photos: 3
Strobisia proserpinella
iNaturalist		Recorded by: jairusp on 2025-05-17
Orange Co.
Comment: iNat record - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/281953048***(c) jairusp, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)| Public Positional Accuracy= ? Elevation=310.1 feet		Strobisia proserpinella
iNaturalist		Recorded by: ctuck77 - Corby Tucker on 2025-04-28
Randolph Co.
Comment: iNat record - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/275838978***(c) Corby Tucker, all rights reserved| Public Positional Accuracy=56 m Elevation=464.9 feet
Strobisia proserpinella
Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2022-07-04
Durham Co.
Comment:

Photos of Strobisia proserpinella from iNaturalist

Strobisia proserpinella
© samjray105 - Samuel Ray - 2022-05-13 - Wake Co.
iNat record 		Strobisia proserpinella
© ctuck77 - Corby Tucker - 2025-04-28 - Randolph Co.
iNat record 		Strobisia proserpinella
© jairusp - 2025-05-17 - Orange Co.
iNat record