Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Tortricidae Members:	Pelochrista Members:	111 NC Records

Pelochrista robinsonana (Grote, 1872) - Robinson's Pelochrista

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Tortricoidea

Family:
Tortricidae

Subfamily:
Olethreutinae

Tribe:
Eucosmini

P3 Number:
51a0890.1

MONA Number:
3009.00

MONA Synonym:
Eucosma robinsonana

Other Common Name:
Robinson's Eucosma Moth

Comments: Pelochrista is a large Holarctic genus of tortricids with around 75% of the 226 described species being native to North America (Wright and Gilligan, 2017). The highest species richness occurs in the western half of North America. The genus has a long and confusing taxonomic history, with many of the species formerly placed in the genus Eucosma. Gilligan et al. (2014) conducted a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of Pelochrista, Eucosma, and related genera and redefined the genus Eucosma and Pelochrista based on differences in female genitalia. The great majority of Pelochrista species are known only from adults, which likely reflects the fact that the larvae of most species bore into stem bases and roots and are concealed from view. Members of the Asteraceae are the likely hosts for most species (Wright and Gilligan, 2017), but much work need to be done to identifying the hosts.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Beadle and Leckie (2012)

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

Technical Description, Adults: Wright and Gilligan (2017)

Adult Markings: The adults are boldly marked with white and brown patterning and are difficult to confuse with other species. The head and palps are predominantly white, but have light brown scales that are intermixed. The thorax is brown with a white central line that connects with a small white spot at the base. The remainder of the wing has five white marks that include two white interfascial areas (bands) that separate brown basal, sub-basal, and median fascias, along with two white patches -- each with a brown dot -- on the distal half of the costa (Wright and Gilligan, 2017). A whitish ocellus or patch is also present near the anal angle that is usually edged laterally by pinkish transverse bars. In males the white band between the sub-basal and median brown fascias extends from the inner margin to the radius, while in females it continues to the costa. The hindwing is medium brown with a paler fringe. This species resembles P. quinquemaculana but the latter has a larger whlte basal spot, only one transverse white band in the proximal half of the wing, and a white spot without a trace of pink in the position of the ocellus (Wright and Gilligan, 2017).

Forewing Length: 4.4-8.7 mm; mean 6.8 mm (Wright and Gilligan, 2017)

Adult Structural Features: Wright and Gilligan (2017) provide detailed illustrations of the male and female genitalia. They note that the most distinctive genitalic features are a series of long marginal spines on the cucullus from the angle to the distal end of neck, a triangular medial protrusion of the posterior margin of the sternum 7, and an elongate trough-like signum on the dorsal surface of the corpus bursae that is medially located on a large patch of sclerotized membrane.

Structural photos

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

Immatures and Development: The larval life history is undocumented.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Pelochrista robinsonana is restricted to eastern North America where it occupies a broad range that extends from New Hampshire and Vermont southward to southern Florida and westward to eastern and north-central Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and North Dakota. In North Carolina this species is most commonly encountered in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont, with only a few records from the lower elevations 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 have one or two broods per year depending on the latitude. The adults are active year-round in Florida and have been collected from March to October elsewhere. Peak activity in most areas of the range occurs from April through July. As of 2022, our records extends form late-March through early October, with Coastal Plain populations appearing to possibly having a second brood late-summer.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Our records come primarily from open, herb-dominated habitats, although at least a few come from forested sites. A large number were recorded in dry-xeric sand ridge habitats.

Larval Host Plants: The host plants appear to be unknown, but there is one records which suggests that the larval may use goldenrods (Wright and Gilligan (2017). - View

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:

Photo Gallery for Pelochrista robinsonana - Robinson's Pelochrista

96 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-24 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Patrick Coin on 2025-06-29 Moore Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jim Petranka on 2025-06-29 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-06-28 Moore Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George, Larry Chen, Sarah Toner, Joye Zhou on 2025-06-20 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George, Larry Chen, Sarah Toner, Joye Zhou on 2025-06-20 Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-19 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-19 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Jim Petranka on 2025-05-24 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-23 Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George on 2025-05-09 Cumberland Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Brian Bockhahn on 2025-05-09 Cumberland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka, Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-08 Harnett Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka, Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-08 Harnett Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2025-05-02 Pender Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2025-05-01 Pender Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2025-04-28 Pender Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2025-04-27 Pender Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2025-04-20 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2025-04-19 Carteret Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-18 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-18 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2025-04-04 Onslow Co. Comment:		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-07-23 Carteret Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-06-20 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-06-20 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-15 Scotland Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-14 Scotland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Hunter Phillips on 2024-06-07 Onslow Co. Comment:		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-05-12 Carteret Co. Comment: