Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFTineidae Members: 7 NC Records

Isocorypha mediostriatella (Clemens, 1865) - Old Gold Isocorypha Moth

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Tineoidea Family: TineidaeSubfamily: MeessiinaeTribe: [Meessiini]P3 Number: 300140.00 MONA Number: 299.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Leckie and Beadle, 2018Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONATechnical Description, Adults: Dietz (1905)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: This is a small, distinctively marked species with a dull yellowish head, yellow antenna, and a boldly marked purplish brown and golden yellowish forewing. The following detailed description is based on that of Dietz (1905). The head and head tufts are ocherous-yellow and the antenna pale yellow and about as long as the forewing. The thorax and ground color of the forewing are dark purplish-brown. The most conspicuous mark is a yellowish golden, longitudinal streak that begins at the middle of base and extends down the middle of the wing. The streak is broadly lanceolate and widens posteriorly to about one-half the wing length before tapering and ending at about two-thirds. Immediately beyond the tip of the streak there is a matching pair of yellowish golden dorsal and costal blotches. The dorsal blotch is usually very narrowly separated from the larger streak, but sometimes connected. The apical cilia is pale yellow and the remainder brown. The hindwing is golden brown and the cilia fuscous. The legs are silvery gray with a yellowish tinge, and are dusted with fuscous.
Wingspan: 8.5-9.0 mm (Dietz, 1905)
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: Isocorypha mediostriatella is found in eastern North America, including southern Canada (Ontario; Quebec) and most of the eastern US. The range extends from Maine southward to Florida, and westward to Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, eastern Texas, and northeastern Mexico. We have records from all three physiographic regions of the state, although this species seems to be less common in the Coastal Plain than elsewhere.
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: Adults have been observed from April through October in areas outside of North Carolina, with a peak in activity in July and August. Populations are univoltine in North Carolina. As of 2020, our records are from mid-July through August.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: The habitat requirements are poorly documented. Dietz (1905) reported finding this species in damp localities, and many of our records are from wooded residential areas or forested sites. The larvae probably do not feed on living plant material.
Larval Host Plants: The larvae and their food resources have never been reported. Like almost all tineids, they presumably feed on dead organic matter such as feathers, scat, and plant or animal remains, or on fungi and lichens.
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR SU
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: We currently do not have sufficient information on the distribution and abundance of this species in North Carolina to assess its conservation status.

 Photo Gallery for Isocorypha mediostriatella - Old Gold Isocorypha Moth

Photos: 5

Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-08-05
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-08-01
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-08-01
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Kyle Kittelberger on 2013-08-26
Surry Co.
Comment: BugGuide: Photo#874570
Recorded by: T. DeSantis on 2009-07-14
Camden Co.
Comment: