Moths of North Carolina

Scientific Name:	Common Name:		Family (Alpha): Choose a Family

Home

View PDF	Tortricidae Members:	Olethreutes Members:	28 NC Records

Olethreutes inornatana (Clemens, 1860) - Inornate Olethreutes

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Tortricoidea

Family:
Tortricidae

Subfamily:
Olethreutinae

Tribe:
Olethreutini

P3 Number:
51a0557

MONA Number:
2788.00

Comments: Olethreutes is a large genus with over 130 recognized species worldwide. North America has around 80 recognized species, with at least 37 species occurring in North Carolina. Some species are very difficult to identify due to interspecific similarities in color and forewing pattern and only subtle differences in genitalia (Gilligan et al., 2008). In many instances, knowledge of the host plant is essential for a confident determination. All of the Nearctic species are leaf-tiers or leaf-rollers on deciduous trees and shrubs.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Beadle and Leckie (2012)

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

Adult Markings: Olethreutes inornatana is a distinctly colored Olethreutes that is easily recognized. The head, thorax and basal third of the forewing along the inner margin have an orangish wash, while the palp is orange-tinted with a dark terminal tip. The remainder of the forewing has a sordid white or grayish-white ground with numerous darker reticulations. Darker dusting is usually present along the costa, the termen and the inner margin, including an outwardly oblique dark patch that extends from the base of the inner margin. In heavily dusted individuals there is often evidence of a diffuse whitish streak that extends from the base to the distal end of the discal cell, and much of the orangish coloration can be masked (Gilligan et al., 2008). Patches that are margined with white lines are present on the apical third of the wing and as part of the medial fascia, and appear to be concolorous, but slightly darker than the surrounding ground color. The apical half of the costa has four or five reddish, triangular marks that decrease in size towards the apex, and that alternate with black lines that are margined with whitish scales on both sides. These marks are often masked in individuals with heavy black dusting in the same vicinity.

Forewing Length: 8.5-10.5 mm (Gilligan et al., 2008).

Adult Structural Features: Gilligan et al. (2008) have illustrations of the male and female genitalia.

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

Immatures and Development: The larvae are leaftiers that feed on the leaves of cherries, and possibly other genera of plants. The older instars are bluish-green with a black head and prothoracic shield (BugGuide).

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Olethreutes inornatana is found primarily in eastern North America, with a few records from western North America, including Alberta and Saskatchewan. It occurs in eastern Canada in southern Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec, and in the US from Maine and other New England states southwestward to North Carolina, northern Georgia and central Alabama, and westward to Mississippi, western Tennessee, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota. It is generally absent from most of the southeastern Coastal Plain. As of 2024, most of our records are from lower-elevation sites in the Blue Ridge, along with two sites in the 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: Adults have been observed from May through August in different areas of the range. As of 2024, our records extend from late-April through early-August, with Piedmont populations flying about a month earlier than those in the Blue Ridge.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Local populations are generally associated with hardwood forests and forest edges, including semi-wooded residential neighborhoods.

Larval Host Plants: The larvae appear to be polyphagous (Brown et al., 2008), but there is uncertainty about the validity of some reported hosts. Gilligan et al. (2008) noted that the larvae have been reared on Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) and Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana; Heinrich, 1926; Godfrey et al.,1987). Heinrich (1926) also reported the use of Coastal Sweet-pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia), an oak (Quercus sp.), a walnut (Juglans sp.) and a dogwood (Swida sp.), but Gilligan et al. (2008) felt that these are suspect due to possible misidentification of the adults by earlier workers. Additional studies are needed to verify the hosts, other than cherries, that are used by this species. - View

Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights. More information is needed on host use and habitat preferences in North Carolina.

Wikipedia

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR[S2S4]

State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.

Comments: This species can be locally abundant in the Blue Ridge during its flight season.

Photo Gallery for Olethreutes inornatana - Inornate Olethreutes

Photos: 23

	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-07-22 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-07-22 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-07-10 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2024-07-07 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Becky Watkins on 2023-07-30 Swain Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-07-19 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-07-15 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-07-15 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-07-11 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-06-28 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-06-30 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2020-06-26 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2020-06-26 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2019-08-02 Cabarrus Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-07-17 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-06-22 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-06-22 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-06-10 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-06-10 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2018-05-16 Cabarrus Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Lori Owenby on 2017-06-06 Catawba Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Lori Owenby on 2017-06-06 Catawba Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Lori Owenby on 2011-04-23 Catawba Co. Comment: