Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Gelechiidae Members:	Dichomeris Members:	10 NC Records

Dichomeris agonia Hodges, 1986 - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Gelechioidea

Family:
Gelechiidae

Subfamily:
Dichomeridinae

P3 Number:
59a0579

MONA Number:
2305.00

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions:

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

Technical Description, Adults: Hodges (1986)

Technical Description, Immature Stages: Loeffler (1994)

Adult Markings: Dichomeris agonia has an overall medium-brown color that is due to a mixture of dark-brown and slate-gray scales on the forewing and thorax. The antennae and terminal fringe are concolorous with the forewing ground color, and the frons and labial palps are orangish-white, with the latter having numerous grayish-brown scales on the second segment. The scales on the vertex are shining pale-yellowish gray above the eye, gray medially and with faint metallic-yellow reflections (Hodges, 1986). The forewing often has pale-orange spots that include one or a pair at one-half the wing length and a second, larger spot at around two-thirds the wing length. A faint, light mark is also usually evident on the costal margin at three-fourths the wing length, and there is a dark, transverse, subterminal band that is more-or-less straight, but often obscure.

Dichomeris juncidella is sometimes confused with D. agonia, but the latter tends to be lighter-colored and has yellowish orange labial palps with the first and second segments dusted with grayish-brown scales (Hodges, 1986). The vertex and occiput are yellowish gray, and the spot at the end of the cell is usually pale yellow or yellowish gray and much more prominent than that of D. juncidella. Dichomeris juncidella also has an outwardly curved, transverse, dark subterminal band on the forewing versus a relatively straight, transverse band on D. agonia.

Forewing Length: 5.7-7.5 mm (Hodges, 1986).

Adult Structural Features: Hodges (1986) has illustrations and descriptions of the male and female genitalia. Also, see images of North Carolina specimens below.

Genitalia and other structural photos

Immatures and Development: The larvae feed on the leaves of goldenrods and other hosts and live within loose leaf folds. Loeffler (1994) found relatively large larvae in early-May in Pennsylvania and believe that the life cycle was essentially the same as that of D. nonstrigella and D. purpureofusca that she studied in central New York. For the latter two species, the adults eclose in June and lay eggs shortly thereafter. Females lay eggs singly on the undersides of leaves, and the hatchings grow slowly over the summer and reach the penultimate instar when > 6 mm long by October. They then drop to the ground and overwinter in the litter. They emerge in late-April or early-May and climb onto fresh shoots where they resume feeding. The final instar is attained by early- to mid-May, and the pupal stage lasted about two weeks.

The final instar larvae have a pea-green abdomen that lacks stripes except for a dorsal, dark-green line that apparently is the digestive tract. The head, prothorax, and mesothorax are black except for except for a series of white patches on the posterior end of the mesothorax (Loeffler, 1994).

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Dichomeris agonia is found in the eastern US and southern Ontario, with the range in the US extending from Maine southward to southern Florida, and westward to eastern Texas, central Oklahoma, Missouri, eastern Kansas, Illinois and southern Wisconsin. As of 2025, we have a few scattered records from all three physiographic provinces in the state, with most from the central and northern Blue Ridge.

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: The adults have been documented from January-through November in different areas of the range, with those outside of Florida typically flying from May through September. As of 2025, our records are from early-June to late-September.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Local populations are found in or near open habitats where goldenrods, asters and other host plants grow. Our records include a lake shoreline, a mountain bog, and a residential neighborhood.

Larval Host Plants: Larvae have been reared on evening-primrose (Oenothera), asters and goldenrod (Solidago) (Hodges, 1986). Loeffler (1994) found larvae using Early Goldenrod (S. juncea) and Gray Goldenrod (S. nemoralis) in Pennsylvania. As of 2025, we do not have any feeding records for North Carolina. - View

Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights and the larvae can be found in leaf folds on goldenrods and other hosts.

Wikipedia

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR SU

State Protection:

Comments:

Photo Gallery for Dichomeris agonia - None

Photos: 9

	Recorded by: F. Williams, S. Williams on 2025-09-26 Gates Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-09-20 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-09-20 Madison Co. Comment: Specimen was dissected (female).		Recorded by: Merrill Lynch on 2025-07-22 Watauga Co. Comment: iNat record - iNat: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/300104693
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-04-29 Orange Co. Comment: Specimen determined by dissection by J.B. Sullivan		Recorded by: Ed Coney on 2022-08-27 Alleghany Co. Comment: iNat record - iNat: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/132736136
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2022-06-06 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Kyle Kittelberger on 2013-07-17 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Harry Wilson on 2013-06-08 Wake Co. Comment: