Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Tortricidae Members:	Eucosma Members:	25 NC Records

Eucosma raracana (Kearfott, 1907) - Reddish Eucosma

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Tortricoidea

Family:
Tortricidae

Subfamily:
Olethreutinae

Tribe:
Eucosmini

P3 Number:
51a0837

MONA Number:
2928.00

MONA Synonym:
Phaneta raracana

Other Common Name:
Reddish Phaneta Moth

Comments: Eucosma raracana is one of five species with similar genitalia that Wright and Gilligan (2015) recognized as the parmatana species group.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Beadle and Leckie (2012)

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

Technical Description, Adults: Kearfott (1907b); Wright and Gilligan (2015)

Adult Markings: The following description is based primarily on that of Kearfott (1907b). The head is creamy white and faintly shaded with light brown on the tufts above the eyes. The palps are cream-white, with a dot of fuscous at the base and one at the middle of the second joint. The antenna is creamy white and shaded with fuscous in front. The thorax is salmon-pink and is somewhat lighter than the forewing ground. The forewing ground covers most of the wing, varies from light reddish-brown to reddish-fuscous, and is darker in the middle of the wing. The ocellus is the most conspicuous marking and reaches to the middle of wing. It is creamy white internally, has shining white vertical side bars, and has two horizontal black lines that are sometimes broken into dots. Occasionally there is a dot or two below these that is the beginning of a third line. The costa is lightly marked with whitish strigulae, and one or two faint leaden-metallic lines are often evident on the apical third of the costa that extend towards the termen. The fringe is pale yellow and speckled with gray towards the base. The hindwing and fringe are grayish-fuscous, and the legs are whitish with brown and blackish bands and dusting.

This species is easily identified based on its small size, reddish forewing, and white head. Eucosma ochroterminana is somewhat similar, but is much darker and has a brownish head.

Wingspan: 11-14 mm (Heinrich, 1923)

Forewing Length: 5.5 to 6.5 mm (Miller, 1987), 4.8-6.4 mm; mean = 5.7 mm (Wright and Gilligan, 2015)

Adult Structural Features: Wright and Gilligan (2015) provide illustrations of the male and female genitalia, along with a general description of the genitalia that applies to all members of the parmatana species group. The general description for members of this group follows.

In males, the uncus is moderately developed with the apex usually rounded. The valva has a concave costal margin, and the ventral emargination is deep to moderate and U-shaped. The saccular corner is angulate, and the cucullus is elongate, with the dorsal lobe strongly developed. The apex is rounded and the distal margin is convex to nearly straight, while the ventral lobe is moderately developed and the anal angle is narrowly rounded. The male valva of E. raracana has a series of moderately stout setae on the distal margin of the cucullus from the anal angle to about two-thirds the distance to the apex that distinguishes it from other members of the group. In addition, the distal margin of the cucullus is nearly straight and is nearly perpendicular to the ventral margin of the sacculus.

In females, the papillae anales are moderately setose and microtrichiate. The sterigma is moderately elongated, and the lamella postvaginalis is rectangular, with the lateral margins fused with the posterior lobes of sternum 7. Sternum 7 has moderately to strongly developed semi-triangular lateral extremities. Scaling of sternum 7 is dense on the posterior lobes and lateral projections, and relatively sparse elsewhere. The ductus bursae has a sclerotized ring at the juncture with the ductus seminalis, and the corpus bursae has one signum that is slightly larger than the other.

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

Immatures and Development: The life history of the larval stage is undocumented.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Eucosma raracana is broadly distributed across much of the eastern US and adjoining areas of southern Canada (Ontario; Quebec; Nova Scotia). In the US it occurs from Maine to southern Florida and westward to eastern Texas, eastern Kansas, eastern Nebraska, and eastern Minnesota. Scattered populations occur across North Carolina from barrier islands along the coast to lower-elevation sites in the Blue Ridge.

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: Local populations appear to be univoltine. The adults fly from June through October in most areas of the range, with a seasonal peak typically from July-September. As of 2022, our records are from late-August through September.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Local populations occur in old fields, prairies, the weedy margins of agricultural fields, and other early successional habitats. They also occur in pine savannas and other open woods that support a ground cover with composites.

Larval Host Plants: The larvae are thought to feed on goldenrod (Solidago) based on a specimen in the USNM labeled 'Salidago' (Kearfott, 1907b). This seems to be the basis for others citing that the larvae use this host (e.g., Heinrich, 1923). Additional work is needed to verify the host use. - View

Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.

Wikipedia

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: Populations occur statewide and show no evidence of widespread declines.

Photo Gallery for Eucosma raracana - Reddish Eucosma

Photos: 30

	Recorded by: Mark Shields, Laurie Hamon on 2025-09-19 Onslow Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Larry Chen, Sarah Toner on 2025-09-06 Beaufort Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-09-06 Moore Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-09-06 Moore Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George on 2025-08-29 Moore Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George, Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger, Becky Elkin on 2025-08-29 Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2024-09-19 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2024-09-12 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-09-03 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-09-03 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Rich Teper on 2023-09-25 Caswell Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Rich Teper on 2023-09-25 Caswell Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2022-09-10 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2022-09-08 Carteret Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-09-18 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-09-18 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2021-09-15 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2019-09-21 Onslow Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-09-19 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-09-19 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-09-19 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petrankaim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-09-08 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petrankaim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-09-08 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2018-08-29 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2018-08-29 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Kyle Kittelberger on 2017-09-20 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Lenny Lampel on 2016-09-29 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:		Recorded by: B. Bockhahn, P. Scharf, K. Kittelberger on 2015-09-10 Rockingham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Kyle Kittelberger on 2015-09-09 Rockingham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jackie Nelson / Doug Blatny on 2013-08-29 Ashe Co. Comment: