Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFSchreckensteiniidae Members: Schreckensteinia Members: 3 NC Records

Schreckensteinia erythriella (Clemens, 1860) - No Common Name

Schreckensteinia erythriellaSchreckensteinia erythriellaSchreckensteinia erythriella
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Schreckensteinioidea		 Family:
Schreckensteiniidae		P3 Number:
43a0001		 MONA Number:
2507.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Schreckensteinia erythriella is a small and rather uniformly colored moth that has long, narrow wings. Individuals have two pairs of long, bristle-like spines on the hindlimbs, and typically elevate one or both limbs nearly perpendicular to the body when resting. The following is based in part on descriptions provided by Clemens (1860) and Forbes (1923). The head, face and thorax are reddish-brown with a greenish-brassy hue, while the antenna is bronzy yellowish-brown. The forewing is also uniformly reddish-brown, with a greenish-brassy hue. The hindwing and the fringe on both wings are more or less concolorous with the forewing. The hindlimbs have prominent, bristle-like spines and the antennae are about one-half the length of the forewings. Specimens sometimes deviate from the description above by having a more dark-brown appearance. The distinctive posturing of the adult when resting is helpful in identifying live specimens.
Wingspan: 9-12 mm (BugGuide).
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Clemens (1860) reported that the larvae feed within the fruiting racemes of sumacs where the larvae can be found in July and the adults about a month later. The larvae have uniformly green bodies and a relatively small, pale-brown head, and produce frass that is scarlet colored. They are strongly moniliform and have raised tubercles along the body. Larvae that Clemens (1860) observed pupated on the outside of the sumac fruiting head and spun a wide-mesh cocoon prior to pupating.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Schreckensteinia erythriellaAlamance 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.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Larval Host Plants: Larvae reportedly feed on sumac (Rhus spp.) (Forbes, 1923). - View
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks:
State Protection:
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Schreckensteinia erythriella - None

Photos: 6
Schreckensteinia erythriella
Recorded by: Ruth Ann Grissom on 2025-08-28
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Schreckensteinia erythriella
Recorded by: Ruth Ann Grissom on 2025-08-28
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Schreckensteinia erythriella
Recorded by: Ruth Ann Grissom on 2025-08-28
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Schreckensteinia erythriella
Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-06-11
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Schreckensteinia erythriella
Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-05-25
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Schreckensteinia erythriella
Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-05-25
Buncombe Co.
Comment: