Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFChoreutidae Members:
Choreutis Members:
1 NC Records

Choreutis diana (Hübner, 1819) - Diana's Choreutis Moth

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Taxonomy
Superfamily: Choreutoidea Family: ChoreutidaeSubfamily: ChoreutinaeTribe: [Choreutini]P3 Number: 580028.00 MONA Number: 2651.00
Comments: The genus Choreutis contains 33 described species that are mostly found in Eurasia and southeast Asia.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Dombroskie (2003); Powell and Opler (2009)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Powell and Opler (2009)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The following description is based on that of Dombroskie (2003). Individuals are variable in external coloration and patterning. The head and thorax are gray to greenish and the abdomen brown. The forewing is mottled, often with some green or bluish-green coloration. The AM line is black, jagged, widest at the costa, and usually has a pale greenish to white band that adjoins the posterior margin. The median area is pale to dark olive or olive brown. The PM line is black, and is often only visible as two sharp black teeth on the dorsal half. The area around the PM line is often heavily dusted with grayish to whitish scales, or can be mottled with brown to olive coloration. The subterminal line is black and sometimes very distinct. The terminal line is usually reddish brown, with a thin dark brown outer border. The fringe is pale grayish with dark brown at the anal angle, middle, and apex. The hindwing is chocolate brown, slightly darker towards the outer margin, and with a thin dark brown border along the outer margin. The fringe is pale gray and darker on the outside. Choreutis pariana is similar but has a mostly brownish forewing. The terminal line is dark brown and often complete, and the center of wing is mostly smudged brown.
Wingspan: 11-12 mm
Forewing Length: 6-7 mm (Powell and Opler, 2009).
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The larvae are leaf-folders that feed on broadleaf trees such as alders and birches. They skeletonize the upper surface of the leaves from within the fold, which causes the leaves to turn brown. Pupation occurs in a tough cocoon with blunt ends under a sheet of silk (Powell and Opler, 2009).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: This is a circumboreal species that is found in both western Eurasia and North America, including forested areas of Canada and the eastern and western US. North American populations are thought to be native based on very old museum records. In the US, populations occur in the northeastern states westward to the Great Lakes region. Farther west they occur in mountainous regions of California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, and a few other western states. As of 2020, our one record from the western mountains represents a significant southern disjunct.
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)

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