Moths of North Carolina
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Diachorisia Members:
54 NC Records

Diachorisia velatella Clemens, 1860 - Brown-spotted Diachorisia

Diachorisia velatellaDiachorisia velatellaDiachorisia velatellaDiachorisia velatella
Taxonomy
Superfamily: Tineoidea Family: TineidaeSubfamily: MeessiinaeTribe: [Meessiini]P3 Number: 300213 MONA Number: 279.00
Comments: Diachorisia is a monotypic genus that is restricted to eastern North America.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1923)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The following description is based in part on Forbes' description (1923). The head has a mix of brown and gray scales and the palps are dark outwardly. The antenna is whitish with varying levels of faint fuscous dusting. The ground color of the forewing is white and dusted with fuscous. There are four or five small dark spots along the costa. These begin just before the base and are spaced roughly equidistantly to about two-thirds the wing length. Two larger, elongated blotches occur near the mid-length of the wing. These are spaced between the costa and inner margin, and the costal blotch is slightly more basal. Two additional large blotches are usually evident, one posteriorly and one anterior to the two paired blotches at the mid-length of the wing. Both are centered between the costa and inner margin. The apical region typically has one or more additional small spots or blotches, and one or two other small blotches are sometimes present along the inner margin. The cilia are white with scattered fuscous dusting, and often have two or more rather poorly organized blotches. The legs are white with varying levels of darker spotting and banding.
Wingspan: 9 mm (Forbes, 1923).
Adult Structural Features: On the antenna, the outer whorls of scales on each segment are nearly complete, but no longer than the inner whorls. The ventral surface has strong pubescence. It is as long as a segment in the male, but shorter in the female. The hindwing shows the cubitus and Cu2 running straight across to the inner margin, with a quarter of the width of the wing below it. Cu2 is half as long as the width of the wing. In the rest of the genus, Cu is closely parallel to the inner margin, and the free part of Cu is very short (Forbes, 1923).
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Despite having numerous adult records, the larval ecology and life history are largely unknown.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Diachorisia velatella is found in eastern North America, including Ontario and much of the eastern US. Populations have been found from Maine and Massachusetts southwestward to the Gulf Coastal region. The range extends as far west as central Texas and central Oklahoma. We have scattered records from throughout the state.
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: In most areas of the range the adults are active from April-Sept, but they can be found year-round in Florida. As of 2020, our records extend from April through September.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: The habit requirements are largely unknown, but the species has often been collected in semi-wooded residential areas.
Larval Host Plants: The feeding ecology of the larvae is undocumented. Many of the tineids feed on fungi or detritus, so it is plausible that D. velatella does the same. - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR SU
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Diachorisia velatella - Brown-spotted Diachorisia

59 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-07-08
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-07-06
Madison Co.
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Recorded by: Lior S. Carlson, Dean Furbish on 2024-06-17
Lincoln Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Rich Teper on 2024-05-13
Chatham Co.
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Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2024-04-29
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2024-04-16
New Hanover Co.
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Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-09-07
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-08-21
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: John Petranka on 2023-08-06
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Becky Watkins on 2023-07-29
Swain Co.
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Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, Stephen Dunn on 2023-07-26
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-17
New Hanover Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-16
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-10
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-06
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2023-05-21
New Hanover Co.
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Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-05-12
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-04-29
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: John Petranka on 2022-09-04
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-08-24
Clay Co.
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Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2022-08-20
New Hanover Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2022-08-19
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: John Petranka on 2022-07-24
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-07-14
Madison Co.
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Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-06-20
Caswell Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-06-20
Caswell Co.
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Recorded by: John Petranka on 2022-05-25
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-05-22
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-05-22
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-05-18
Guilford Co.
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