Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGelechiidae Members: Dichomeris Members: 5 NC Records

Dichomeris furia Hodges, 1986 - No Common Name

Dichomeris furiaDichomeris furiaDichomeris furia
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Gelechioidea		 Family:
Gelechiidae		Subfamily:
Dichomeridinae		P3 Number:
59a0551		 MONA Number:
2291.40
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Hodges (1986)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Dichomeris furia is best identified by the forewing patterning that consists of a brownish-yellow ground color that is overlain by two dark-brown marks. The most conspicuous is a broad, angulated blotch that extends from the wing base along the inner margin before turning inward at about one-third the wing length and terminating near the center. The second is a broad band of similar color, and often with a bluish caste, that fills the subterminal region of the wing. A pair of small dark-brown spots is also often evident between these two marks. The hindwing tends to be uniformly light brown with a slightly lighter-colored fringe.

The labial palp is yellowish-orange with a well-developed scale tuft of similar color that becomes pale yellowish-white apically. The frons is pale-brown or orangish-brown in front of the eyes, while the vertex and occiput are pale yellowish-gray above the eyes and slightly darker medially (Hodges, 1986). The antenna is mostly medium to dark-gray above, while the thorax is predominantly grayish-brown to orangish-brown. The legs are predominantly dark grayish-brown.

Dichomeris furia can be confused with D. laetitia, but the latter has a somewhat different-shaped dark mark on the wing base that does not touch the inner margin, a dark tuft on the labial palp, and a less-conspicuous subterminal band that is gray rather than dark brown. Worn specimens of D. furia often have a gray subterminal band due to wear, but the yellowish-orange palp should help to distinguish these from D. laetitia. Dichomeris furia also resembles D. bilobella and D. setosella, but these two have a triangular-shaped bulge on the basal blotch, along with heavy dark dusting on the apical half of the forewing. Highly worn specimens of all of these species can be identified using genitalia.
Forewing Length: 5.8-7.2 mm
Adult Structural Features: Hodges (1986) has illustrations of the male and female genitalia and noted that the extremely long, nearly symmetrical
lobes of the juxta are diagnostic, as are the paired, symmetrical lobes of the lamella vaginalis. 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: We are not aware on any published records concerning the larvae or the larval life history. Hodges (1986) surmised that the larvae are probably leaf rollers that use composites as hosts, but we are not aware of any confirmation of this.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Dichomeris furia is found in eastern North America from Connecticut and vicinity westward through the Great Lakes region of the US and Ontario to Illinois and Wisconsin. The range extends southward to southwestern Missouri, and through the Appalachian region to western North Carolina and northern Georgia. As of 2025, all of our records are from the Blue Ridge, and mostly from elevations below 4,000'.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Dichomeris furiaAlamance 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 fly in July and August throughout the range. As of 2025, our records are all from July.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: This species is generally associated with open or partially wooded habitats with sunny openings that support composites and other herbaceous species.
Larval Host Plants: Larval host plants are unknown but are probably composites (Hodges, 1986). - View
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks:
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Dichomeris furia - None

Photos: 3
Dichomeris furia
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-07-14
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Dichomeris furia
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-07-12
Watauga Co.
Comment:
Dichomeris furia
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2018-07-09
Madison Co.
Comment: