Moths of North Carolina
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
« Home »
View PDFGelechiidae Members: Dichomeris Members: 10 NC Records

Dichomeris vacciniella Busck, 1915 - No Common Name

Dichomeris vacciniellaDichomeris vacciniella
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Gelechioidea		 Family:
Gelechiidae		Subfamily:
Dichomeridinae		P3 Number:
59a0535		 MONA Number:
2286.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Hodges (1986)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Darlington (1952)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Dichomeris vacciniella is conspicuously flattened, with the forewings varying from dark-brown to shining reddish-brown or russet. The forewing has numerous dark flecks, and there is a series of parallel, antemedial, median and postmedial dark dots. When paired, the dot closer to the inner margin is displaced more basally relative to the other dot. The median pair is margined with a few white scales on the distal margin, while the post-medial dot is margined with white scales either on the proximal margin or both margins. The antemedial dots are often missing or masked by a diffuse, blackish, diagonal band that terminates near the center of the wing, while the postmedial typically consists of a single dot. The wing is often heavily dusted with blackish scales in the subterminal region and in the region just posterior to the postmedial dot. The hindwings are grayish and broadly darker along the margins and at the base of the fringe (Darlington, 1952; Hodges, 1986). The labial palps, frons and head are mainly dark brownish-gray when view from above and are noticeably darker than the ground color of the thorax and forewings. The antenna shaft has pale-brown bands that alternate with dark-brown bands, while the legs are mostly black with yellowish tarsal annulations.

Dichomeris vacciniella can be confused with D. ventrellus, but in the latter the head and labial palps are about the same color as the thorax and forewing, versus being noticeable darker in D. vacciniella. Dichomeris ventrellus also lacks the heavy blackish dusting in the subterminal region of the forewing, and usually does not have a diffuse, dark, diagonal, antemedial band near the wing base. Specimens of D. vacciniella are occasionally found that lack the heavy dark dusting and are best identified by the noticeable darker head and palps.
Wingspan: 18 mm (Darlington, 1952).
Forewing Length: 7.0- 8.8 mm (Hodges, 1986).
Adult Structural Features: Hodges (1986) has descriptions and illustrations of the male and female genitalia. Also, see images below for North Carolina specimens.
Genitalia and other structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The larvae tie or fold the leaves of blueberries. Darlington (1952) studied this species in New Jersey and reported that the larvae live within a cylindrically folded leaf or between two cupped leaves. The top of the cylinder or cup remains slightly open, which allows the larva to escape from predators and feed on the the leaf tissue outside of the shelter. Pupation typically occurred in a cluster of dead leaves, and most commonly around the base of the plant where the leaves accumulate. The older larvae are a dull, translucent green with the head and prothoracic shield black. They frequently turn red just before leaving the plant to pupate. Local populations appear to mostly be univoltine, with the adults overwintering and laying eggs soon after the spring leaf-out.

Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Dichomeris vacciniella occurs in Nova Scotia, southern Quebec and Ontario, and in a substantial portion of the eastern US where specimens have been documented from Maine southwestward through the Appalachian region to eastern Tennessee, then continuing on to Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, southeastern Texas, western Tennessee, western Arkansas and Missouri. A second cluster of populations occurs in the Coastal Plain from central Florida northward to North Carolina, Maryland and New Jersey. There are also scattered records from northern Michigan and Wisconsin. This species appears to be absent from much of the area between the Appalachians and the Atlantic Coast from Virginia southward. As of 2025, our records are all from the Coastal Plain, including the Sandhills and communities near the coast.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Dichomeris vacciniellaAlamance 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.
Immature 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: immatures.
Flight Comments: The adults have been observed during most months of the year in different areas of the range, with the seasonal peak in March through May, and another from July through October. Populations in most areas appear to be univoltine, with the first peak likely reflecting overwintering adults. As of 2025, our records are from mid-March to late-June, with a cluster in mid-March to early April that likely reflect overwintering adults, followed by a second in late-May to late-June that presumably represent adults emerging from the first brood.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Local populations are generally found in areas where native blueberries are well-represented in local communities. Our records come from both peatland and Sandhills habitats in the Coastal Plain. This species is apparently absent from the Blue Ridge, even though blueberries are often locally abundant in many areas.
Larval Host Plants: The larvae feed on blueberries (Vaccinium spp.; Darlington, 1952; Hodges, 1986). As of 2025, we have one feeding and rearing record for North Carolina. - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to light to some extent, but many of the museum records are for rearing records from blueberries (Hodges, 1986).
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for Coastal Plain Wet-Dry Heath Thickets
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S3S4
State Protection:
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Dichomeris vacciniella - None

Photos: 3
Dichomeris vacciniella
Recorded by: J.B. Sullivan on 2023-04-29
Jones Co.
Comment: 		Dichomeris vacciniella
Recorded by: Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2021-06-07
Moore Co.
Comment:
Dichomeris vacciniella
Recorded by: Ed Corey on 2018-06-14
Onslow Co.
Comment: