Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFTortricidae Members: Retinia Members: 132 NC Records

Retinia gemistrigulana (Kearfott, 1905) - Gray Retinia

Retinia gemistrigulanaRetinia gemistrigulanaRetinia gemistrigulanaRetinia gemistrigulana
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Tortricoidea		 Family:
Tortricidae		Subfamily:
Olethreutinae		Tribe:
Eucosmini		P3 Number:
51a0727		 MONA Number:
2898.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Kearfott (1905)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Retinia gemistrigulana is distinctive among our Retinia in having an overall grayish color with a patchwork of lighter and darker gray marks that are separated by thin, blackish, transverse lines. The following description is based in part on that of Kearfott (1905) from specimens that were collected from Tryon, North Carolina. The head, palp, and thorax are light gray and speckled with fuscous and black, while the antenna is light gray and annulated with black. The forewing is pale gray overall and consists of an array of elongated, irregular patches that are delineated by numerous dark gray to blackish transverse lines. The patches are predominantly light gray, but usually have several darker patches interspersed. The cilia are gray, and the hindwing is dark gray with paler cilia. The abdomen and anal tuft are both gray.
Wingspan: 19-21 mm (Kearfott, 1905)
Adult Structural Features: Miller (1978) has an illustration of the male genitalia.
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Very little has been reported on the larval life history. The larvae are one of the pitch-blister moths that feed internally on conifer stems and create nodules from resin, frass, and silk netting.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Retinia gemistrigulana is widely distributed across much of the eastern US and adjoining areas of southern Canada (Nova Scotia westward to Ontario and Alberta). In the US the range extends from Maine southward to Florida and westward to Michigan, Wisconsin, Missouri, and eastern Texas. As of 2022 our records are almost all from the Coastal Plain and eastern and central Piedmont, with the exception of Polk and Buncombe counties to the west.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Retinia gemistrigulanaAlamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New%20Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: adults.
Flight Comments: Local populations are presumed to be univoltine throughout the range as is the case with other Retinia. Specimens have been observed from March-July in different areas of the range, with southern populations active from March-April and northern populations from April-July. As of 2022, our records extend from mid-April through mid-July, with a peak in May in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont, and June in the lower mountains.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Local populations presumably use pines as hosts and have been found in habitats that range from sandy, xeric Sandhill communities to semi-wooded residential neighborhoods in the eastern Piedmont.
Larval Host Plants: Larval hosts are poorly documented, but other members of this genus feed on pines. Forbes (1923) lists Virginia Pine (Pinus virginiana), but this needs confirmation. The range in North Carolina suggests that this species primarily relies on one or more of the southern pine species as hosts. - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights. More information is needed on host use and the habitat requirements for this species.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Pine Forests and Woodlands
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S4S5
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: This species is widespread and locally common in the Coastal Plain and eastern Piedmont and shows no evidence of widespread declines.

 Photo Gallery for Retinia gemistrigulana - Gray Retinia

 104 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: Dean Furbish on 2025-07-03
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-14
Rowan Co.
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Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-03
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-25
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: Jim Petranka, David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-05-24
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-05-24
Richmond Co.
Comment:
Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-05-24
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-05-24
Richmond Co.
Comment:
Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-05-24
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-23
Richmond Co.
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Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: David George on 2025-05-17
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: David George on 2025-05-16
Durham Co.
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Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: John Petranka, Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-09
Cumberland Co.
Comment: 		Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George on 2025-05-09
Cumberland Co.
Comment:
Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Brian Bockhahn, Jim Petranka, John Petranka, Becky Elkin on 2025-05-09
Cumberland Co.
Comment: 		Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George, Kaitlyn Elliott on 2025-05-08
Cumberland Co.
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Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-02
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-02
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: Mark Basinger and Miles Buddy on 2025-04-26
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: Mark Basinger and Miles Buddy on 2025-04-26
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-25
Columbus Co.
Comment: 		Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: David George, Bonnie Eamick on 2025-04-25
Wake Co.
Comment:
Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: Chuck Smith on 2025-04-16
Bladen Co.
Comment: 		Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: John Petranka, Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin on 2025-04-14
Bladen Co.
Comment:
Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: Jim Petranka, John Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-04-14
Bladen Co.
Comment: 		Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: John Petranka on 2024-06-07
Orange Co.
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Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-06
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-01
Chatham Co.
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Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-05-26
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Retinia gemistrigulanaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-05-26
Brunswick Co.
Comment: