Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFTortricidae Members:
Eucosma Members:
9 NC Records

Eucosma paragemellana Gilligan and Wright, 2013 - No Common Name

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Taxonomy
Family: TortricidaeP3 Number: 51a0740 MONA Number: 3052.20
Comments: Eucosma paragemellana is a member of the circulana-gemellana-paragemellana subgroup as recognized by Wright and Gilligan (2015). These three species are very similar in forewing appearance but can be separated by geographic range, genitalia, and other features. Eucosma paragemellana is the only member that is currently known from North Carolina.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Gilligan and Wright (2013)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Gilligan and Wright (2013) note that E. paragemellana is indistinguishable in external appearance from E. gemellana, which is restricted to Florida. The following description is based on their description of the latter. The frons, vertex, and antenna are creamy white and the labial palp is creamy white with some pale brown tinting on the lateral surface. The dorsal surface of the thorax varies from creamy white to pale brown. The forewing ground color is brown to brownish yellow on the proximal half and phases to golden yellow on the distal half. Most specimens have a creamy white subcostal streak that extends from the base to the mid-wing and creamy-white streaking on the cell, CuP, and A1+2. Males also have a thin grayish-brown streak from the base to the distal end of the fold. The terminal half of the wing is edged with brown along the costa, dorsum, and termen, with the latter having a coarse-grained pattern. The circular ocelloid region extends from the tornus nearly to the costa. It has a golden-yellow central field and a metallic-gray circular boundary, with the anterior and posterior metallic-gray semicircles usually being more-or-less intact. The ocellus consists of two rows of three to five black dots that are separated by metallic-gray scaling, and the hindwing is brownish gray.

Gilligan and Wright (2013) note that E. circulana is similar in forewing appearance to E. paragemellana, but lacks the whitish subcostal band and basal streaking that is present in E. paragemellana. Eucosma circulana is a more western form that has yet to be documented in North Carolina.
Forewing Length: 5.0–7.6 mm (mean = 6.3) for males; 6.6–7.3 mm (mean = 6.7) for females (Gilligan and Wright, 2013).
Adult Structural Features: Gilligan and Wright (2013) provide illustrations and descriptions of the male and female genitalia. The male genitalia are most useful for distinguishing between closely related forms. In males, the uncus is moderately produced and clearly differentiated from the dorsolateral shoulders of the tegumen. The socii are fingerlike and the phallus is stout, moderately long, and tapers distally. The anellus is approximate to the phallobase, and the vesica has 25–28 deciduous cornuti. The valva has a straight to weakly concave costal margin, with the ventral emargination deep. The proximal extremity of the neck is narrow, the ventrolateral margin is weakly scooped out, and the saccular corner is angular. The apex of the cucullus is weakly developed, the distal margin is weakly convex, and the ventral projection is long and narrow. Setation of the medial surface of the cucullus extends to the spiniform seta at the vertex of the anal angle. It is coarse towards the distal margin and anal angle, and grades to fine towards the costal margin and apex.
Immatures and Development: The life history of the larval stage is undocumented.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Eucosma paragemellana has a fragmented distribution in the southeastern Coastal Plain. Specimens have been observed in the Gulf Coast of Alabama and adjoining areas of southern Mississippi and the western panhandle of Florida, and as an apparent disjunct in coastal North Carolina. As of 2024, our records are all from Pender County.
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: The adults have been collected from April through September. As of 2024, we have records from late-June through late-September.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: The adults have been collected from pine savannas and open woods, but the specific habitat requirements are poorly documented.
Larval Host Plants: The host plants are unknown. - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S1-S3]
State Protection:
Comments: The population that have been found in Pender County appears to be a major northern disjunct. We currently do not have sufficient information of the specific habitat requirements, host plants, and abundance to accurately assess the conservation status of this species.