Moths of North Carolina
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Sole representative of Alucitidae in NC
1 NC Records

Alucita adriendenisi Landry & Landry, 2004 - No Common Name

Alucita adriendenisi
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Alucitoidea		 Family:
Alucitidae		P3 Number:
61a0002		 MONA Number:
2313.10
Comments: The genus Alucita belongs to the family Alucitidae, which includes 186 species in the world (Gielis 2003; cited by Landry and Landry, 2004).
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Landry and Landry (2004)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Alucita adriendenisi is one of only three Many-plumed Moths (genus Alucita) that occur in North America. All are unmistakable, with their forewings consisting of a fan of separate, variegated plumes, each of which resembles a bird feather. Alucita adriendenisi is separated from the other two species by its uniformly grayish-brown scales on the head (Landry and Landry, 2004). The remaining two species have bicolored scales that are dirty white at their base to pale brown or grayish brown at their tip. Alucita adriendenisi is the only species that has been documented in North Carolina as of 2025.
Forewing Length: 6.6–7.8 mm for males; 6.6–8.1 mm for females, with one female only 5.9 mm (Landry and Landry, 2004).
Adult Structural Features: Landry and Landry (2004) provided detailed descriptions and illustrations of the male and female genitalia.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The larval life history is poorly documented, but there are two rearing records for larvae that both fed on honeysuckles, including one where the larvae fed within the flower heads (Landry and Landry, 2004). Overwintering appears to occur as adults based on several collections of moths that were found in the dark zone of a cave in West Virginia from December through March.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Alucita adriendenisi is restricted to areas with cool climates, with the range extending from western Quebec and New York westward to Alberta and the Northwest Territories. Populations that appear to be geographically isolated from those in the main range occur in West Virginia, Colorado, Arizona, and Texas (Landry and Landry, 2004). Bo Sullivan also collected our only North Carolina specimen from Mt. Jefferson State Park in Ashe County in 2000.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Alucita adriendenisiAlamance 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 from April to November in different areas of the range. Inactive overwinter adults have also been found in caves or under bark from December through March (Landry and Landry, 2004). Our one record as of 2025 was from 2 May, 2000.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Our sole specimen comes from a mature, rich stand of basic-mesic hardwoods, which is consistent with the habitats used by Lonicera dioica.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae have been found feeding on the flowers of Limber Honeysuckle (Lonicera dioica) (Landry and Landry, 2004). Adults have also been collected in areas with other species of Lonicera, and also where Northern Bush-honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera) is present. Both L. dioica and D. lonicera have been recorded at the site where our one specimen was collected. - View
Observation Methods: This species commonly flies during the day but can also be found at lights at night. Our one specimen was collected using a 15 watt UV trap.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for Rich Montane Hardwood Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: [SR]
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR SNR [S1]
State Protection:
Comments: This species appears to be an extremely rare northern disjunct; the next nearest recorded populations are in West Virginia and northern New York, with both also represented by just a few specimens.

 Photo Gallery for Alucita adriendenisi - None

Photos: 1
Alucita adriendenisi
Recorded by: J.B. Sullivan on 2000-05-02
Ashe Co.
Comment: Identity confirmed by J. Landry