Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGELECHIIDAE Members: Dichomeris Members: 12 NC Records

Dichomeris offula Hodges - No Common Name

Dichomeris offulaDichomeris offulaDichomeris offulaDichomeris offula
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Taxonomy
Family:
GELECHIIDAE		Subfamily:
Dichomeridinae		P3 Number:
59a0580		 MONA Number:
2305.10
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Hodges (1986)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Dichomeris offula is characterized by a dark-brown forewing that has light brownish-orange or light reddish-brown scales that form a diffuse patch on the distal half of the wing. Two small brownish-orange spots are usually evident just before one-half the wing length, while a third one occurs at around three-fourths but is often masked by the diffuse patch of light scales. The terminal fringe is dark-brown, and a row of five or six orangish spots are usually evident at the junction of the outer margin and fringe. The dorsum of the head is a dark grayish orange, but individuals commonly loose these scales with wear, which results in an orangish-yellow bald appearance.

The outer surface of first segment and the extreme base of second segment of the labial palp are mainly dark gray. The rest of the palp is pale yellow, except for a dorsal scale tuft that is yellowish-white. The third segment of the labial palp has dark-brown scales just before apex and some on inner surface (Hodges, 1986). The frons is shining grayish orange with a narrow row of brown scales in front of the eye, while the vertex and occiput are darker grayish orange above the eye, medium gray medially, and with shining yellow and lavender reflections. The antenna and thorax are dark-brown, while the legs are also predominantly dark-brown.

Dichomeris offula is most similar to D. crepida, but D. crepida has the light-colored scales on the forewing extending from the base of the wing in a streaked pattern. In contrast, the light-colored scales of D. offula are restricted to an area between one-half and three-fourths the wing length.
Forewing Length: 7.0- 7.9 mm (Hodges, 1986).
Adult Structural Features: Hodges (1986) has illustrations and descriptions of the male and female genitalia.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The host plants and larval life history of the species were undocumented for decades, but Jeff Niznik recently found a late-instar larva in a leaf fold on an aster (Symphyotrichum sp.) and reared the adult. The larva was collected on 15 August and the adult emerged around 1 September, which indicates a pupal stage that lasted less than two weeks. The head, prothorax, and mesothorax of the larva were dark-brown to blackish above except for a row of white spots on the posterior margin of the latter. The legs were also blackish, while the metathorax and abdomen were dull olive-green. The tubercles along the abdomen were dark with whitish crescents on the upper and lower margin, and a blackish V-shaped mark was present on the terminal abdominal segment.
Larvae ID Requirements: Unmistakable and widely known.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Dichomeris offula is found in the eastern US and in adjoining areas of southern Canada (Manitoba; Ontario; Quebec; Nova Scotia).There are also records from British Columbia and Alberta that may represent an undescribed western form. In the US the range extends from Vermont and New York southwestward mostly through the Appalachian region and Piedmont to North Carolina. A southern cluster of populations that appear to be disjunct from the main range occurs in southern Alabama, Mississippi, western Tennessee, southern Louisiana and eastern Texas, and there is one record from Michigan. As of 2025, all of our records are from the northeastern Piedmont.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Dichomeris offulaAlamance 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 documented from March through October in different areas of the range, with a seasonal peak from May through August. Local populations in North Carolina probably produce two broods annually. As of 2025, our records for adults are from mid-April through late-May, and from early-July through early-September.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Two records come from the edge of bottomland pools or marshes.
Larval Host Plants: The only documented host as of 2025 is for a larva that as using a native aster (Symphyotrichum sp.) and found by Jeff Niznik in the Piedmont of North Carolina. - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights; more information is needed on host use and the larval ecology of this species.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S2S3
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 offula - None

Photos: 14
Dichomeris offula
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2025-09-01
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Dichomeris offula
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2025-09-01
Orange Co.
Comment:
Dichomeris offula
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2025-08-15
Orange Co.
Comment: A larva from a leaf fold on Symphyotrichum sp (adult reared). 		Dichomeris offula
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2025-08-15
Orange Co.
Comment:
Dichomeris offula
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2025-08-15
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Dichomeris offula
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2025-04-19
Orange Co.
Comment:
Dichomeris offula
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2025-04-19
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Dichomeris offula
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-07-08
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Dichomeris offula
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-07-08
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Dichomeris offula
Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2024-04-14
Orange Co.
Comment:
Dichomeris offula
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-08-09
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Dichomeris offula
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-08-09
Durham Co.
Comment:
Dichomeris offula
Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2022-05-03
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Dichomeris offula
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-04-27
Guilford Co.
Comment: