Moths of North Carolina

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Vitacea scepsiformis (Edwards, 1881) - Lesser Grape Root Borer Moth

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Sesioidea

Family:
Sesiidae

Subfamily:
Tinthiinae

Tribe:
Paranthrenini

P3 Number:
55a0066

MONA Number:
2531.00

Comments: North America has 136 or more species in the family Sesiidae, with 37 species found in North Carolina. Many being similar in appearance to one another. Some are significant pests of commercial crops, and almost all are mimics of wasps and hornets.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions:

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

Technical Description, Adults: Engelhardt (1946); Eichlin and Duckworth (1988)

Technical Description, Immature Stages: Engelhardt (1946)

Adult Markings: Vitacea scepsiformis is a mimic of two rust-colored paper wasps (Polistes carolina; P. perplexus) that occur in the eastern US. This species has dark forewings and an overall rusty-brown appearance, with the abdomen typically having a single yellowish band. The males have four prominent pencils that extend from the tip of the abdomen.

The following detailed description of the male is based on that of Engelhardt (1946) and Eichlin and Duckworth (1988). The antenna is bipectinate and black above, with orange at the tip and on the undersides. The palp is chestnut-red, with black mixed with brown at the base and along on the sides. The head is purplish brown above, with the vertex often mixed with rust red, while the occipital fringe is chestnut-red to deep orange. The collar is blackish-brown and often grizzly at the lower edge. The thorax varies from dark brown to reddish-brown and has wide subdorsal patches of orangish-brown to rust-brown laterally. The posterior margin has a transverse reddish to yellowish edge, and there is a yellow spot above and below the wing base. The forewing is opaque and varies from being mostly purplish-black, to purplish-black with reddish-brown dusting or streaking. The hindwing is hyaline with brownish-black scales on the veins, discal spot, and the relatively wide outer and inner margins. An elongated, triangular, dark patch extends inward from the middle of the outer margin to near the discal spot. The abdomen is brownish-black with varying degrees of orangish-brown powdering on the segments. Segments 1 and 2 are often darker that the others, while segments 3 and 4 tend to be lighter. Most specimens have a single, narrow, yellow band on the posterior margin of segment two, but specimens are occasionally encountered that have a less prominent band on segment 4, and to some degree on segment 6 and the anal tuft. The anal tuft has four rusty black pencils with brown edges, with the two lateral ones relatively short. The femora of all legs are brownish-black with varying amounts of orange, and the tarsi yellow. The tibia of the hindleg is yellow with a heavy overly of brownish-black scales. The females are generally similar to the males, but are larger with heavier bodies. They have a simple antenna and the forewings often have more reddish dusting and streaking.

Vitacea scepsiformis is very similar to V. polistiformis but has an elongated, triangular, dark streak on the hindwing that extends inward from the middle of the outer margin (missing on V. polistiformis), brownish-black scaling on the hind tibia (versus pure orange for V. polistiformis), and a single yellowish abdominal stripe on segment 2.

Wingspan: 20-30 mm for males; 22-36 mm for females (Engelhardt, 1946).

Forewing Length: 12-16 mm (Eichlin and Duckworth, 1988).

Structural photos

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

Immatures and Development: The larvae are root borers that feed on members of the Vitaceae. The larval life history appears to be very similar to that of Vitacea polistiformis, but has not been studied in as much detail. Engelhardt (1946) found larvae in New York boring in the upper main root and branching horizontal roots of Parthenocissus, where they fed under the bark on the succulent fibers rather than on the hard central core. The larvae overwintered during their first year then pupated in late-June and July in elongated cocoons that were constructed with silk, chips, and soil. Pupation mostly occurred at the upper ends of the galleries, but occasionally in the adjoining soil, and the adults emerged after 3-4 weeks of pupal development.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Vitacea scepsiformis is endemic to the eastern US where the range extends from New York and Massachusetts southward to southern Florida, and westward to central Texas, central Oklahoma, eastern Kansas, Missouri and Illinois. As of 2024, we have records from all three physiographic provinces, but with very few site records from the Coast Plain and none from the northern Blue Ridge.

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: The adults have been observed from April through October in Florida and from May through September elsewhere, with a seasonal peak commonly from June through August. As of 2024, our records extend from mid-June through early-September.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Local populations are commonly associated with residential neighborhoods, forests, and forest-edge habitats that support Virginia Creeper and perhaps other hosts.

Larval Host Plants: The larvae feed on members of the Vitaceae, including species of Parthenocissus and possibly cultivated grapes (Vitis vinifera) (Engelhardt, 1946; Heppner, 2007; Robinson et al., 2023). The only well-documented report of host use is that of Engelhardt (1946), who reared the adults from Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) and Boston Ivy (P. tricuspidata), which is an introduced ornamental. Robinson et al. (2023) listed V. vinifera as a host, but we are unaware of any specific documentation of this. - View

Observation Methods: The adults are diurnal and are occasionally seen resting on vegetation during the day. They are not attracted to lights, but are attracted to pheromone traps.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Vitaceous Tangles

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S2S4]

State Protection:

Comments: Vitacea scepsiformis appears to occur more-or-less statewide, but is seemingly uncommon in many areas such as the Coastal Plain. Additional information is needed on its distribution, abundance and host use before we can accurately assess its conservation status within the state.

Photo Gallery for Vitacea scepsiformis - Lesser Grape Root Borer Moth

Photos: 14

	Recorded by: iheartmollusks on 2024-09-08 Dare Co. Comment: Creative Commons: CC BY-NC		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2023-08-08 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2023-08-08 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-20 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-20 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-07-29 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-07-21 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-07-21 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-07-17 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-07-12 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-07-12 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-07-12 Madison Co. Comment: Verified by J.B. Sullivan based on specimen.
	Recorded by: Rich Stevenson on 2018-07-23 Henderson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: J.B. Sullivan on 2017-08-14 Carteret Co. Comment: