Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGelechiidae Members: Dichomeris Members: 10 NC Records

Dichomeris pelta Hodges, 1986 - No Common Name

Dichomeris peltaDichomeris pelta
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Gelechioidea		 Family:
Gelechiidae		Subfamily:
Dichomeridinae		P3 Number:
59a0557		 MONA Number:
2297.10
Comments: Dichomeris is a large genus with several hundred species that occur throughout the world. Hodges (1986) recognized 74 species in North America north of Mexico, with 19 species groups. Most are leaftiers and they use a taxonomically diverse array of plant hosts, including members of 18 families of plants in North America. As of 2025, North Carolina has 35 documented species, and at least one undescribed species from the Sandhills.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Hodges (1986)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Dichomeris pelta has a two-toned appearance with the forewing having a yellowish costal band that extends from the wing base to the apex, and an adjoining broad, toothed, dark-brown band that extends from the base to the outer margin. The yellowish band is widest near the middle and gently narrows towards both the apex and the base where there is a small dark-brown subcostal spot. The dark band commonly has two small teeth that project into the yellow band; one at around two-fifths the wing length, and the second at around two-thirds the wing length.

The outer surface of the first and second segments of the labial palp are dark brown and the second segment has strong dorsal scale tuft that is pale yellow. The third segment is pale yellow basally that grades into dingy brown and yellow at the apex (Hodges, 1986). The vertex and occiput are pale yellowish white above the eyes and grayish-brown medially, while the meso- and metathorax are mainly brown with some pale-yellow scales. The antenna is pale yellow on the scape and first two or three segments of the shaft, with the remainder of the shaft being dark-gray to grayish-brown.

Dichomeris pelta can be confused with two other Dichomeris that are found in coastal areas (the dark morph of D. ligulella and D. bolize). Dichomeris bolize and D. pelta have a yellowish to cream-colored, longitudinal band along the costa that lacks the scattered dark flecking that is typically present in D. ligulella. In D. bolize, the light costal band terminates just before reaching the apex, while in D. pelta the band terminates at the apex, as is the case with D. ligulella. Dichomeris pelta also has a small black spot in the yellow band near the base of the forewing that the other two species lack. Both of these species lack the prominent, forward-projecting, scale tufts on the labial palps that are typical of D. ligulella. Worn specimens of all three can be distinguished using genitalia.
Forewing Length: 5.3-7.0 mm (Hodges, 1986).
Adult Structural Features: Hodges (1986) has illustrations and descriptions of the 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: As far as we are aware, the larval host species and larval life history are undocumented as of 2025.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Dichomeris pelta is endemic to the southeastern Coastal Plain. As of 2025, it has been found throughout much of Florida and in coastal habitats in southeastern Mississippi, southwestern Alabama, central South Carolina and central North Carolina. As of 2025, we have records from Dare County southward to Onslow County.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Dichomeris peltaAlamance 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 adult have been found in most months of the year in Florida, except during the hottest summer months, and from April through June in Mississippi, Alabama and South Carolina. As of 2025, our records suggest that two broods may be produced in North Carolina, with adults first on the wing between mid-April through late-May, and again from early-August through late-September.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: The adults have been taken near coastal wetland habitats and coastal scrub habitats in North Carolina.
Larval Host Plants: As of 2025, we are unaware of any host plants that have been reported. - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S2S3]
State Protection:
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Dichomeris pelta - None

Photos: 4
Dichomeris pelta
Recorded by: Rich Kostecke on 2024-08-10
Dare Co.
Comment: iNat record - iNat: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/235357481		Dichomeris pelta
Recorded by: R. Newman on 2023-04-20
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Dichomeris pelta
Recorded by: R. Newman on 2021-09-26
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Dichomeris pelta
Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2021-05-13
Onslow Co.
Comment: