Moths of North Carolina
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Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Family (Alpha):
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Choreutidae Members:
Brenthia pavonacella
Choreutis diana
Choreutis pariana
Neocaloreas leucobasis
Prochoreutis inflatella
Pseudotebenna carduiella
Tebenna gnaphaliella
Pseudotebenna
Members:
Pseudotebenna carduiella
7 NC Records
Pseudotebenna carduiella
(Kearfott, 1902) - No Common Name
Taxonomy
Family:
Choreutidae
Subfamily:
Choreutinae
P3 Number:
580026.00
MONA Number:
2649.00
Comments:
Heppner (2023) recently placed
Tebenna carduiella
into a new genus (
Pseudotebenna
) based on differences in genitalia and wing venation when compared with other members of the genus
Tebenna
. It is the only member of this genus in North America, with one other suspected member known from Japan.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions:
Online Photographs:
MPG
,
BugGuide
,
iNaturalist
,
Google
,
BAMONA
,
GBIF
,
BOLD
Technical Description, Adults:
Heppner (2023)
Technical Description, Immature Stages:
Kearfott (1902)
Adult Markings:
The following description is based on that of Heppner (2023). The head and palps are grayish-brown with white-tipped scales, while the antennae are white with blackish-brown annulations. The thorax is grayish-brown with white-tipped scales, and often with a small orange band on each side. The forewing ground is dark brown with white-tipped scales at one-third and distally that form diffuse vertical or oblique frosted bands. The wing base has a longitudinal orange streak on the costal half, while the dorsal half is dark brown with scales that are sometimes white-tipped. The costa has a patch of dull orange and dark brown near the middle, with heavily frosted bands on either side. Large blackish blotches that have silvery metallic iridescent marks are present on the distal third of the wing. The fringe along the termen is pale white with a dark grayish-brown line in the middle. The hindwing is pale brown with a diffuse white submarginal crescent near the tornus. The fringe is white with two broad brown lines.
The adults closely resemble
Tebenna gnaphaliella
and are best distinguished by the single orange streak at the forewing base versus two bars in
T. gnaphaliella
. These species also differ in wingspan, with
T. gnaphaliella
being smaller (7.4-10 mm) than
Pseudotebenna carduiella
(11.5-14 mm).
Wingspan:
11.5-14 mm (Heppner, 2023)
Adult Structural Features:
Heppner (2023) has illustrations and descriptions of the male and female genitalia. He notes that the primary ways to distinguish members of the newly created genus
Pseudotebenna
from
Tebenna
are, 1) the simplified male genitalia with short valvae that are merely notched apically distal to a single hook-like appendage directed ventrally (valval apex with distal thorn-like projection and divided ventral setose lobes in
Tebenna
), 2) an extended saccus (short in
Tebenna
) and 3) an aedeagus that lacks a caulis and has a twisted cornutus in addition to a long flechette cornutus (caulis present and lacking any twisted extra cornutus in
Tebenna
). In females the sterigma has a caudal projection (lacking in
Tebenna
), the ductus bursae is offset before the extension to the bursa (mostly continuous in
Tebenna
), and the signum is diffuse or a curved keel versus prominently keel-like in
Tebenna
.
Adult ID Requirements:
Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development:
The larvae are specialist on thistles (
Cirsium
). Kearfott (1902) studied larvae that were feeding on
C. spinosissimiis
in New Jersey. The larvae are stem borers and feed communally in thistle stalks where they consume the pith. A single stalk may contain as many as a dozen or more larvae. The larvae excavate a gallery that can extend nearly the entire length of the stalk. They eject frass outside the stalk from holes that are periodically bored through the stalk. The hole are usually made just above a node or above where the stalk branches. The last-instar larvae leave the stalk and pupate in cocoons that are spun under the leaves and below the thistle head. The cocoons are spindle-shaped and are spun beneath a sheet of protective silk.
Larvae ID Requirements:
Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
Pseudotebenna carduiella
is largely restricted to the southeastern US where it occurs from New Jersey southward to southern Florida, and westward across the Gulf States to eastern Texas. There is also one isolated record from central Illinois (Heppner, 2023). As of 2023, all of our records are from the Coastal Plain and Piedmont.
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:
Local populations appear to have at least two generations per year in southern regions such as Florida, while some northern populations appear to be single-brooded. As of 2023, our limited records are from April and May, and again in August, which suggest that two broods are produced by some populations in North Carolina.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Local populations are dependent on thistles and are typically found in open habitats such as woodland borders, old fields, grazed pastures, roadways, and coastal pine savannas.
Larval Host Plants:
The reported host include Common Yellow Thistle (
Cirsium horridulum
), Nuttall's Thistle (
C. nuttallii
), and Spiniest Thistle (
C. spinisissimum
; Heppner, 2023). -
View
Observation Methods:
The adults are active during the day and are weakly attracted to lights. The presence of larvae that are boring in thistle stems can be verified by searching for external frass deposits along the stems.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks:
GNR [S3S4]
State Protection:
Comments:
This species appears to be uncommon in North Carolina. Additional information on host use, distribution and abundance is needed before we can accurately assess its conservation status.
Photo Gallery for
Pseudotebenna carduiella
- No common name
Photos: 7
Recorded by: Rob Van Epps on 2021-05-27
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Rob Van Epps on 2021-05-27
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2020-08-12
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2020-08-12
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 4.1 mm TL
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2020-08-12
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Erich Hofmann on 2020-05-06
Craven Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2019-05-27
Orange Co.
Comment: