Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Gelechiidae Members:	Dichomeris Members:	17 NC Records

Dichomeris laetitia Hodges, 1986 - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Gelechioidea

Family:
Gelechiidae

Subfamily:
Dichomeridinae

P3 Number:
59a0545

MONA Number:
2294.30

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions:

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

Technical Description, Adults: Hodges (1986).

Adult Markings: Dichomeris laetitia is best identified by the forewing patterning that consists of a brownish-yellow ground color that is overlain by two conspicuous marks. The first is a broad, dark-brown to blackish-brown, angulated blotch that extends from just before the wing base along the inner margin, then turns inward at about one-third the wing length and terminating near the center. The blotch approaches, but does not touch, the inner margin. The second is a less well-defined, grayish band that fills the subterminal region of the wing. A small, faint, dark-brown spot is also often evident between these two marks at the end of the cell, but is often entirely missing (Hodges, 1986). The hindwing tends to be uniformly light brown with a slightly lighter-colored fringe.

The labial palp is mainly dark-brown with a well-developed, dark-brown, dorsal scale tuft of similar color that becomes narrowly off-white apically. The frons is dark-brown in front of the eyes, while the vertex and occiput are pale gray (Hodges, 1986). The antenna and thorax are predominantly pale yellowish-gray, while the legs are mostly dark grayish-brown.

D. laetitia can be confused with D. furia, but the latter has a somewhat different-shaped dark mark on the wing base that touches the inner margin, a yellowish-orange scale tuft on the labial palp (versus brown), and a more conspicuous subterminal band that is dark brown to nearly black rather than light gray. It also resembles D. bilobella and D. setosella, but these two have a triangular-shaped bulge on the basal blotch that reaches the inner margin, along with heavy dark dusting on the distal half of the forewing.

Forewing Length: 5.8-7.2 mm (Hodges, 1986).

Adult Structural Features: Hodges (1986) has illustrations of the male and female genitalia.

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

Immatures and Development: We are not aware on any records of the larvae or their life history.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Dichomeris laetitia is found throughout much of the eastern US from southern Pennsylvania and Maryland westward to Illinois and Missouri, and southward to eastern Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and central Georgia. As of 2025, we have records from all three physiographic provinces, with most from the Piedmont and only one from the western Coastal Plain.

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: Adults have been documented from May through October in different areas of the range, with a seasonal peak in May through July. As of 2025, our records extend from mid-May through late-September, with most records from May and June.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Several of our records are from riparian habitats, including bottomland forests and marshes or shoreline habitats. Several other records are from semi-wooded residential neighborhoods.

Larval Host Plants: As of 2025, the larval host plants are undocumented. - View

Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights, and have occasionally been found resting on vegetation during the day.

Wikipedia

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S2S3

State Protection:

Comments: This species appears to be uncommon in the state.

Photo Gallery for Dichomeris laetitia - None

Photos: 13

	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George on 2025-05-18 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George on 2025-05-18 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-05 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2023-05-23 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Steve Hall on 2022-06-05 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Stephen Hall, Ed Corey, Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin, Tom Howard, Carol Tingley, Brian Bockhahn, and Van Cotter on 2021-09-29 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2020-09-19 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-06-19 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-06-19 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-06-19 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Harry Wilson on 2015-07-24 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Harry Wilson on 2015-07-24 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Merrill Lynch on 2010-07-08 Watauga Co. Comment: