Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Tortricidae Members:	Retinia Members:	22 NC Records

Retinia comstockiana (Fernald, 1879) - Pitch Twig Moth

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Tortricoidea

Family:
Tortricidae

Subfamily:
Olethreutinae

Tribe:
Eucosmini

P3 Number:
51a0719

MONA Number:
2889.00

Other Common Name:
Comstock's Retinia Moth

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions:

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

Technical Description, Adults: Fernald (1879)

Technical Description, Immature Stages: Miller and Neiswander (1956)

Adult Markings: Retinia comstockiana is distinctive among our Retinia species in having a heavily frosted head and thoracic region, along with a light orange ground that is overlain with light gray striae. The following description is based on the descriptions by Fernald (1879) and Forbes (1923). The head and palps are white and the antenna dark brown with white annulations. The thorax and tegula are light powdery gray. The forewing has a light orange to ferruginous brown ground color except for a narrow, dark brown costal edge that extends from the base to near the apex. A series of conspicuous, irregular, whitish to leaden-gray striae extend across the wing roughly perpendicular to the costa. These are concentrated in the antemedian and median regions, and are more widely dispersed in the post median region. The fringe is pale grayish-brown, and the legs are rather boldly marked with brownish-black bands on a whitish background. The hindwing varies from very pale grayish-brown to nearly white and has a whitish fringe.

Wingspan: 14-20 mm (Heinrick, 1923); 16-22 mm (Forbes, 1923).

Adult Structural Features: Heinrick (1923) has descriptions and illustrations of the male genitalia.

Structural photos

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

Immatures and Development: Miller and Neiswander (1956) conducted a detailed life history study of R. comstockiana in Ohio and found that the first instar initially constructs a tiny silken tent around the base of pine needles, then bores through the sheath and mines the needles. The tent eventually becomes saturated with resin and frass deposits. After 1-2 weeks, the larva bores into the stem and feeds on cortical tissue and then the pith. Resin flow and frass from the feeding area are removed periodically and carried to a silk tent where they are combined to form a hardened nodule that is expanded with time. The older nodules averaged around 2.2 cm long and 1.6 cm wide. The larvae overwinter in the stems then resume feeding in the spring. Shortly before pupating the larva prepares an escape passageway through the nodule that has a thin escape hatch that allows the adult to emerge. The pupa usually resides just below the escape hatch. Emergence in this study occurred in May.

Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: The Pitch Twig Moth is found in the eastern US and extreme southern Canada (Ontario; Quebec). Populations have been documented from southern Maine to northern Florida, and southwestward through Pennsylvania to southern Ohio, eastern Kentucky and Tennessee to perhaps as far south as eastern Texas. Populations are generally uncommon through most of the Coastal Plain. As of 2022, we have scattered records from all three physiographic provinces.

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: Populations throughout the range are univoltine with most adults active during May and June. As of 2022, all of our records are from May and June.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Populations are found in pine or mixed pine-hardwood stands.

Larval Host Plants: Larvae specialize on pines (Fernald, 1879; Forbes, 1923; Heinrich, 1923; Kimball and Jones, 1943; Schaffner, 1959; Miller, 1978; Lam et al., 2011) and Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida) appears to be the most important host (Miller & Neiswander, 1956). Other known hosts include Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana), Red Pine (P. resinosa), Scotch Pine (P. sylvestris), and Loblolly Pine (P. taeda). A site in Madison County where the adults are regularly taken has Pitch Pine present, which is the presumed host. Populations from outside of the mountains likely use Loblolly Pine. - View

Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights. Resinous nodules or other feeding signs are often evident on first-year shoot growth.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Pine Forests and Woodlands

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S3S4

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

Comments: This species appears to be uncommon in North Carolina. As of 2022 we have fewer than 10 site records for the state.

Photo Gallery for Retinia comstockiana - Pitch Twig Moth

Photos: 21

	Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-06-29 Richmond Co. Comment: Specimen was dissected.		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-29 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-05-29 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-05-27 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-05-20 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-05-07 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-05-02 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-06-05 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2023-05-21 Transylvania Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-05-13 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-05-19 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-05-19 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-06-15 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Bo Sullivan and Steve Hall on 2021-06-08 Scotland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-06-06 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-05-24 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-05-14 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-05-14 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn on 2017-05-02 Stokes Co. Comment:		Recorded by: B. Bockhahn on 2015-05-19 Stokes Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 0000-00-00 Madison Co. Comment: