Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGlyphipterigidae Members: Diploschizia Members: 84 NC Records

Diploschizia impigritella (Clemens, 1863) - Yellow Nutsedge Moth

Diploschizia impigritellaDiploschizia impigritellaDiploschizia impigritellaDiploschizia impigritella
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Yponomeutoidea		 Family:
Glyphipterigidae		Subfamily:
Glyphipteriginae		Tribe:
[Glyphipterigini]		P3 Number:
36a0222		 MONA Number:
2346.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Heppner (1985)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Diploschizia impigritella is a very small brownish moth with a large, narrow, white crescent on the dorsal margin of the forewing, and five white streaks on the apical third of the costa. The following detailed description is based on that of Heppner (1981). The labial palp is white dorsally, with the venter white except for a medial brown line from the middle of the second segment to the apex of the third segment. The head is fuscous with a reduced white line near the antennal base. The antenna is fuscous dorsally, while the thorax and patagia are fuscous. The forewing has a fuscous ground color that is overlain with yellow-buff on the apical half, except for fuscous borders along all of the streaks and other markings. The dorsal margin has a large white crescent from the basal one-third to the midwing, with the point directed towards the apex. The costal margin has five white bars from near the middle of the wing to the apex, with the basal mark the longest and projecting obliquely to the center of the wing. The other marks tend to be triangular costal spots, and terminate with a silver line or have a detached silvery spot towards the outer margin. All of the costal streaks are more-or-less thinly margined with dark-brown scales. The apex has a black spot and there is a large dark-brown area mid-apically. The fringe is light-brown with a broad, silvery-brown band at the base and a whitish spot near the falcate indention near the middle. The tornus has a silvery spot, and the legs are fuscous with white at the joints. The hindwing and fringe are both fuscous.

Diploschizia lanista can be confused with D. impigritella, but it has four white streaks on the costa instead of five as seen on D. impigritella (Heppner, 1985). The site of collection is also helpful since D. lanista is only known from the Sandhills, while D. impigritella is found statewide.
Forewing Length: 2.7-4.3 (Heppner, 1981).
Adult Structural Features: Heppner (1981) has descriptions and illustrations of the male and female genitalia.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Heppner (1981) reported that the larvae bore into the stem of two species of nutsedge (Cyperus spp.) and usually pupate in the leaf axils. Field collected late-instar larvae developed to adults in 16-22 days in Mississippi.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Diploschizia impigritella is a common species that is widely distributed across North America. It occurs across most of southern Canada from British Columbia to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and in the western US from Washington southward to central California. Scattered records are also known from the Rocky Mountains from Idaho and Montana southward to Colorado and New Mexico. This species is widespread in the eastern US, with the range spanning from Minnesota southward to central and western Texas and eastward from southern Florida to Maine. This species occurs statewide in North Carolina, but is relatively uncommon in the Blue Ridge.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Diploschizia impigritellaAlamance 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 during the warmer months of the year and are generally inactive from November through February. Peak seasonal activity is typically from May through August depending on the latitude. As of 2025, our records are from mid-April through mid-September. Local populations in North Carolina appear to produce two or three overlapping broods annually depending on the location.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: The two known hosts are common in disturbed habitats, and we have numerous records from residential neighborhoods and other fragmented and disturbed landscapes. We also have records from natural communities such as coastal dunes and fire-maintained communities in the Sandhills.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae reportedly feed on nutsedges (Cyperus spp.), including Yellow Nutsedge (C. esculentus) and Purple Nutsedge (C. rotundus) (Heppner, 1981, 2007). - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights and are occasionally found nectaring on native plants. More information is needed on host use in North Carolina and elsewhere.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S4S5
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: This species is widespread in North America and locally common in North Carolina.

 Photo Gallery for Diploschizia impigritella - Yellow Nutsedge Moth

 82 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Diploschizia impigritella
Recorded by: Larry Chen, Sarah Toner on 2025-09-06
Beaufort Co.
Comment: 		Diploschizia impigritella
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rob Van Epps, Kevin Metcalf on 2025-07-20
Richmond Co.
Comment:
Diploschizia impigritella
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-07-12
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Diploschizia impigritella
iNaturalist		Recorded by: hydaticus - Robby Deans on 2025-06-26
Forsyth Co.
Comment: iNat record - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/327439008***(c) Robby Deans, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)| Public Positional Accuracy=5 m Elevation=947 feet
Diploschizia impigritella
Recorded by: F. Williams, S. Williams on 2025-06-04
Gates Co.
Comment: 		Diploschizia impigritella
Recorded by: F. Williams, S. Williams on 2025-05-31
Gates Co.
Comment:
Diploschizia impigritella
Recorded by: David George on 2025-05-17
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Diploschizia impigritella
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-05-09
Cumberland Co.
Comment:
Diploschizia impigritella
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-05-09
Cumberland Co.
Comment: 		Diploschizia impigritella
iNaturalist		Recorded by: nutmeg13 - Quintin Ellison on 2025-04-28
Swain Co.
Comment: iNat record - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/275877414***(c) Quintin Ellison, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)| Public Positional Accuracy=146 m Elevation=1718.5 feet
Diploschizia impigritella
Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2025-04-04
Onslow Co.
Comment: 		Diploschizia impigritella
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-26
Orange Co.
Comment:
Diploschizia impigritella
Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2024-06-25
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Diploschizia impigritella
Recorded by: David George on 2024-06-20
Durham Co.
Comment:
Diploschizia impigritella
Recorded by: Lior S. Carlson, Dean Furbish on 2024-06-17
Lincoln Co.
Comment: 		Diploschizia impigritella
Recorded by: Hunter Phillips on 2024-06-07
Onslow Co.
Comment:
Diploschizia impigritella
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-06-07
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Diploschizia impigritella
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2024-04-16
New Hanover Co.
Comment:
Diploschizia impigritella
iNaturalist		Recorded by: cypselurus - Larry Chen on 2023-08-25
Tyrrell Co.
Comment: iNat record - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/180218806***(c) Larry Chen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)| Public Positional Accuracy=4 m Elevation=3.3 feet		Diploschizia impigritella
Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-06
Orange Co.
Comment:
Diploschizia impigritella
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-04
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Diploschizia impigritella
iNaturalist		Recorded by: liorcarlson - Lior Carlson on 2023-06-27
Wilson Co.
Comment: iNat record - https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/169956421***(c) Lior Carlson, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)| Public Positional Accuracy=179 m Elevation=129.6 feet
Diploschizia impigritella
Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-25
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Diploschizia impigritella
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-18
New Hanover Co.
Comment:
Diploschizia impigritella
Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2023-05-31
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Diploschizia impigritella
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2023-05-18
Wake Co.
Comment:
Diploschizia impigritella
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2023-05-17
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Diploschizia impigritella
Recorded by: David George on 2023-05-15
Alamance Co.
Comment:
Diploschizia impigritella
Recorded by: R. Newman on 2023-05-10
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Diploschizia impigritella
Recorded by: David George on 2023-04-13
Durham Co.
Comment:

Photos of Diploschizia impigritella from iNaturalist

Diploschizia impigritella
© lukearmstrong - Luke Armstrong - 2022-07-09 - Chatham Co.
iNat record 		Diploschizia impigritella
© scott_bolick - Scott Bolick - 2022-07-18 - Forsyth Co.
iNat record 		Diploschizia impigritella
© liorcarlson - Lior Carlson - 2023-06-27 - Wilson Co.
iNat record 		Diploschizia impigritella
© cypselurus - Larry Chen - 2023-08-25 - Tyrrell Co.
iNat record
Diploschizia impigritella
© nutmeg13 - Quintin Ellison - 2025-04-28 - Swain Co.
iNat record 		Diploschizia impigritella
© hydaticus - Robby Deans - 2025-06-26 - Forsyth Co.
iNat record