Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Epermeniidae Members:	Epermenia Members:	8 NC Records

Epermenia albapunctella Busck, 1908 - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Epermenioidea

Family:
Epermeniidae

Subfamily:
[Epermeniinae]

Tribe:
[Epermeniini]

P3 Number:
67a0006

MONA Number:
2328.00

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions:

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

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

Immatures and Development: The larvae feed on several members of the Apiaceae. Eiseman (2019, 2019a) noted that when feeding on Queen-Anne's-Lace (Daucus carota) the larva first forms a short, contorted, linear leaf mine with frass inside, then makes a separate, full-depth blotch mine. The fecal pellets are expelled from the blotch and accumulate on the lower leaf surface due in part to light webbing that is spun among the leaflets. Within a few days, the larvae transition to window feeding on the leaves, then later consume most of the leaves, leaving them tattered. The mature larvae spin white, open-mesh cocoons among the leaves, and the brown pupae are plainly visible through the mesh. When feeding on Hairy Sweet-cicely (Osmorhiza claytonii), the nearly mature larvae have been found boring holes in fruits among webbed pedicels. The cocoons were spun within this looser webbing (Eiseman 2019, 2019a).

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution:

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: In the Northeast, larvae and pupae have been found beginning in early July, with adults emerging from early July to early August (Eiseman 2019).

Habitats and Life History

Habitats:

Larval Host Plants: This species has been reported to use several taxa in the Apiaceae (Daucus, Heracleum, Ligusticum, Osmorhiza), as well as Aralia in the Araliaceae (Eiseman 2019, 2019a). Prentice (1966) also reported it to use conifers in Canada. The reported hosts include Queen-Anne's-Lace (Daucus carota), Sweet-cicely (Osmorhiza claytonii), Norway Spruce (Picea abies), White Spruce (P. glauca) and Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea). - View

Wikipedia

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks:

State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.

Comments:

Photo Gallery for Epermenia albapunctella - None

Photos: 9

	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-02-26 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-08-30 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-03-03 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-08-06 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-02-28 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-03-13 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-05-19 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-05-05 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-05-05 Madison Co. Comment: