Moths of North Carolina
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3 NC Records

Olethreutes bipartitana (Clemens, 1860) - Divided Olethreutes Moth

Olethreutes bipartitanaOlethreutes bipartitana
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Tortricoidea		 Family:
Tortricidae		Subfamily:
Olethreutinae		Tribe:
Olethreutini		P3 Number:
51a0613		 MONA Number:
2848.00
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, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1923)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Olethreutes bipartitana has broad zones of blackish and whitish banding on the forewing. The blackish areas often have small blue-gray blotches within them and the whitish areas have black specks or small grayish blotches (Forbes, 1923). The black basal patch is complete and extends to about one-fourth the wing length where it abuts a white antemedial fascia that usually has a few black scales within it. The fascia has irregular borders on both sides, and abuts a broad blackish band that slightly broadens towards the inner margin. The blackish band has an irregular posterior margin that commonly has a darker, blackish spot near the center of the wing. The remainder of the wing is white with varying amounts of grayish shades, or with a separate gray margin and subterminal patch (Forbes, 1923). The costal edge is dark gray or blackish with paired white striae. The hindwing varies from whitish to brown and the fringe on both wings is whitish with a narrow, dark, basal line and with varying levels of darker dusting on the outer half of the fringe.

Olethreutes bipartitana is very similar to Phiaris glaciana and some specimens may require dissection for a positive identification. The latter lacks the black spot along the hind margin of the black band and usually has a pair of white costal striae within the black band.
Forewing Length: 6.0-9.5 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 photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].
Immatures and Development: The larvae are leaftiers that have been reported to feed on members of the carrot family, and a lousewort. MJ Hatfield (BugGuide) collected a larva on 4 July that was in a shelter made of several tied terminal leaves of Swamp Lousewort. The mature larvae (possibly prepupal) was dull greenish-brown with a dark-brown head. An adult emerged on 18 July.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Olethreutes bipartitana is found throughout much of North America where cool climates prevail, including Alaska and Canada from the Yukon southward to British Columbia and Alberta, and eastward to New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. In the eastern US the range extends from Maine and other New England States westward across the Great Lakes region to Minnesota and Iowa, and southward through the Appalachian region to West Virginia and western North Carolina. Scattered populations have been found in the West in Montana, Wyoming, Arizona and California. As of 2024, we have only two site records from the Blue Ridge, including one from Mt. Mitchell.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Olethreutes bipartitana
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 documented from May through October in different region of the US and Canada. As of 2024, our three records are from June and late-August.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: The preferred habitats are poorly documented, but given the exceptionally broad range of this species they are likely also broad.
Larval Host Plants: Limited data suggest that the larvae may be polyphagous. The reported hosts include Celery (Apium graveolens) and a scaleseed (Spermolepis sp.) in the Apiaceae (Heinrich 1926; Miller 1987, Brown et al., 2008), and Swamp Lousewort (Pedicularis lanceolata) in the Orobanchaceae (BugGuide; MJ Hatfield).
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR[S1S2]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: This is a northern species that reaches its southern limits in North Carolina and appears to be rare within the state.

 Photo Gallery for Olethreutes bipartitana - Divided Olethreutes Moth

Photos: 2

Recorded by: Mereill Lynch on 2022-08-23
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2020-06-15
Yancey Co.
Comment: