Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Sesiidae Members:	Carmenta Members:	22 NC Records

Carmenta pyralidiformis (Walker, 1856) - Boneset Borer Moth

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Sesioidea

Family:
Sesiidae

Subfamily:
Sesiinae

Tribe:
Synanthedonini

P3 Number:
55a0155

MONA Number:
2608.00

Other Common Name:
The Boneset Borer

Comments: Of the 135 or more members of the Sesiidae that occur in North American north of Mexico, 37 have been recorded in North Carolina. Some sesiids, known broadly as clearwing borers, are significant pests of commercial crops. The great majority are mimics of wasps and hornets.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions:

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

Technical Description, Adults: Engelhardt (1946)

Technical Description, Immature Stages: Engelhardt (1946)

Adult Markings: Carmenta pyralidiformis is a relatively small clearwing moth that is predominantly black, but with a prominent yellow band on segment 4 of the abdomen, and a thin yellow band on segment 7 (absent on the females). The collar is yellow, the labial palp is golden yellow with a black tip, and the thorax has a subdorsal yellow stripe on each side. The following detailed description of the male is based on those of Engelhardt (1946) and Eichlin and Duckworth (1988).

The antennae is stout and purplish black, while the labial palp is golden yellow with a black tip. The head is uniformly purplish-black and the collar golden-yellow. The thorax is black with a purple luster, with a subdorsal yellow stripe on each side and a yellow patch beneath the wing base. The abdomen is lustrous violaceous or bronzy-black, with a broad yellow band on segment 4 and a narrow band on the posterior margin of segment 7. The anal tuft is short, halberd- or wedge-shaped, and entirely black. The tibia of the hindleg is rough throughout and mostly black, but mixed with yellow at and between the spurs. The tarsi have the first joints slightly thickened and black, while the posterior joints are sordid yellow. The forewing is opaque and lustrous violaceous-black, except for a small hyaline spot both before and beyond the discal spot that is sometimes present, and that is marked with a few pale-yellow scales. The underside is heavily dusted with yellow on the basal half, while the hindwing is transparent, narrowly margined, and broadly fringed with brownish-black. Females are very similar to the males, but are larger, have a heavier body, and lack the narrow yellow band on segment 7. The black anal tuft is rounded with a short brush projecting on each side.

Wingspan: 12-18 mm for males; 13-23 mm for females (Engelhardt, 1946).

Forewing Length: 5-8 mm (Brown and Mizell, 1993).

Adult Structural Features: Engelhardt (1946) has illustrations of the male and female genitalia (also see below).

Structural photos

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

Immatures and Development: The larvae are root borers in Eupatorium species, but details of the life cycle are not fully described. Engelhardt (1946) reported that the larvae tunnel in the upper rootstock of the host plants. At maturity, they burrow up into the stem base and construct a pupal chamber that has a circular aperture near the surface of the stem that allows the pupa to exit.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Carmenta pyralidiformis is found throughout much of the eastern US and in adjoining areas of southern Ontario and Quebec. The range is the US extends from southern Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont southward to central Florida, and westward to eastern Texas, central Oklahoma, central Kansas, eastern Nebraska and Minnesota. This species occurs statewide in North Carolina.

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 March through October in different areas of the range, with a seasonal peak typically in July through September. As of 2024, our records are from early-September through early-October.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Local populations are commonly found in open settings, including early-successional fields, road and power line corridors, fencerows, pine savannas and sandhills.

Larval Host Plants: The larvae are root borers that use species of Eupatorium (Engelhardt, 1946). The reported hosts include White Thoroughwort (E. album), Common Boneset (E. perfoliatum), and Upland Boneset (E. sessilifolium). We do not have any feeding records in North Carolina. - View

Observation Methods: The adults are diurnally active and are occasionally seen resting on vegetation. They commonly visit flowers, particularly Eupatorium and other composites. The males can be trapped using artificial pheromone lures.

Wikipedia

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S3S5]

State Protection:

Comments: Carmenta pyralidiformis occurs statewide and appears to be secure. It has probably been undercollected due to the fact that the adults are diurnally active and do not come to lights.

Photo Gallery for Carmenta pyralidiformis - Boneset Borer Moth

Photos: 4

	Recorded by: iheartmollusks on 2023-10-09 Dare Co. Comment: iNat: CC BY-NC		Recorded by: Mark Shields, Hunter Phillips on 2022-09-27 Onslow Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Rob Van Epps on 2018-09-05 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2018-09-04 Madison Co. Comment: The specimen was captured in a pheromone trap and identified by JB Sullivan and Bill Taft based on genitalia (see structural photos above). The capture site was at 2200' in a native wildflower garden that contained several species of native Eupatorium species, which are the host plants.