Moths of North Carolina

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Hedya separatana (Kearfott, 1907) - Pink-washed Leafroller Moth

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Tortricoidea

Family:
Tortricidae

Subfamily:
Olethreutinae

Tribe:
Olethreutini

P3 Number:
51a0634

MONA Number:
2860.00

MONA Synonym:
Metendothenia separatana

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Beadle and Leckie (2012)

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

Technical Description, Adults: Forbes (1923)

Adult Markings: Hedya separatana is a distinctive species, with the apical third of the wing whitish to pinkish and contrasting sharply with the basal two-thirds that is darker. The palps are mostly smoky gray to blackish, and the head is black to bluish-black. The thorax is mottled with bluish-black blotches or lines that are interspersed with pink or whitish coloration, while the tuft varies from pinkish-red to black. The forewing has a pinkish to pinkish-white ground color that is overlain with darker patches and mottling. The basal two-thirds has a mix of steel-gray and blackish blotches that mask most of the pink except near the base of the inner margin, and near the costa at around two-fifths the wing length, where there is usually a patch of pink. The darker region is predominantly black where its irregular, posterior edge meets the pinkish outer third of the wing, and is followed by a black spot at the end of the cell. The outer third varies from pale pink to whitish and is shaded with light gray to blackish-gray. The hindwing is dark smoky brown with a whitish fringe that has a dark-brown basal line.

Hedya separatana is similar to H. nubiferana and H. ochroleucana, which occur in nearby states but have yet to be found in North Carolina as of 2024. Hedya separatana is smaller than H. nubiferana and has more whitish or pinkish scaling in the dark basal portion of the forewing. Hedya separatana can be separated from H. ochroleucana by the black dot at the end of the discal cell, which is more prominent in H. separatana.

Forewing Length: 5.5-7.5 mm (Gilligan et al., 2008).

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

Structural photos

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

Immatures and Development: The larvae are leaf rollers that feed primarily on members of the Rosaceae, but most aspects of the larval life history are undocumented. The later-instar larva has a dull-greenish body and a black head and thoracic shield, with two pairs of dorsal pinacula on each body segment (MPG).

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Hedya separatana is found throughout much of southern Canada and in the eastern US. In Canada, the range extends from the Yukon and British Columbia eastward to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, while in the US it extends from Maine and other New England states to northern Florida, and westward to Louisiana, eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota. This species is generally rare or uncommon in most of the southeastern Coastal Plain. Hedya separatana occurs statewide in North Carolina and is more common in the Blue Ridge compared to the Piedmont and Coastal Plain.

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: The adults have been observed from April through September in different areas of the range. As of 2024, our records are from mid-April through mid-September, with most local populations appearing to be bivoltine.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Most of our records are from fragmented landscapes with a mix of deciduous forests and fields or other open habitats, including many from semi-wooded residential neighborhoods. We also have a few records from rich, mesic forests.

Larval Host Plants: The larvae appear to feed mostly on members of the Rosaceae (Forbes, 1923; Prentice, 1965; Chapman and Lienk, 1971). The reported hosts including serviceberry (Amelanchier), Common Apple (Malus domestica [= M. pumila]), rose (Rosa), blackberry (Rubus), Black Cherry (Prunus serotina), and hawthorn (Crataegus). Heinrich (1926) reported larkspur (Delphinium) as a host, which seems unlikely. Prentice (1965) also listed Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis) and Paper Birch (B. papyrifera) based on rearing records in Canada. - View

Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights. More information is needed on host use and the larval life history.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Rosaceous Thickets

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR[S3S5]

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

Comments: Populations appear to be relatively secure in the Blue Ridge, which is the stronghold for this species in the state.

Photo Gallery for Hedya separatana - Pink-washed Leafroller Moth

Photos: 28

	Recorded by: David George, Kevin Bischof, Rich Teper, Patrick Coin on 2025-08-16 Transylvania Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-13 Ashe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-11 Ashe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-11 Ashe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-08-05 Transylvania Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Maurice Cullen, Todd Pusser, F. Williams, S. Williams on 2024-07-08 Gates Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2024-06-15 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-04-27 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-08-13 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2023-08-09 Graham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-31 Macon Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-31 Swain Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-07-11 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-06-04 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2023-05-23 Transylvania Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Emily L Stanley on 2023-05-10 Yancey Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-05-28 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-05-05 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2021-07-04 Onslow Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn on 2019-09-03 Transylvania Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: L. M. Carlson on 2019-07-30 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David L. Heavner on 2019-07-07 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David L. Heavner on 2019-07-07 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-06-07 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-06-07 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: J. Merrill Lynch on 2015-08-05 Watauga Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: T. DeSantis on 2015-08-04 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: B. Bockhahn, P. Scharf, L. Amos on 2015-05-12 Warren Co. Comment: