Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFTortricidae Members: Eucopina Members: 18 NC Records

Eucopina cocana Kearfott, 1907 - Shortleaf Pinecone Borer Moth

Eucopina cocanaEucopina cocanaEucopina cocana
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Tortricoidea		 Family:
Tortricidae		Subfamily:
Olethreutinae		Tribe:
Eucosmini		P3 Number:
51a0737.65		 MONA Number:
3072.00		 MONA Synonym:
Eucosma cocana		Other Common Name:
Shortleaf Pine Coneborer Moth
Comments: Eucopina is a genus of tortricid moths with 12 North American species that were previously placed in the genus Eucosma (Gilligan and Wright, 2013). Members of this genus feed on conifers (Pinaceae), and the majority feed on the maturing cones of pines.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The head is predominately light orangish white to dull white, while the external surfaces of the palps are a contrasting darker orangish-brown or orangish-red. The forewing has complex patterning, but typically consists of a mosaic of relatively dark orangish-brown to orangish-red blotches that are interspersed with light orange or orangish-white blotches. Most of the darker blotches are defined by a thin margin of off-white scales, and many specimens have broader areas of silvery-gray scales between the larger blotches. The thorax has similar patterning, but with smaller blotches, and there is a pair of scale tufts on the posterior end. A series of small orangish-red spots with alternating lighter areas extends along the costa from about mid-wing posterior across the outer margin. The cilia on the forewing vary from gray to orangish-brown and are cut with white at the end of each vein. The hindwing is smoky brown and the cilia are paler.
Wingspan: 19 mm for the type specimen (Kerfott, 1907).
Forewing Length: 8.5-11 mm (Gilligan et al. (2008)
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: This species most commonly feeds on the cones of Shortleaf Pine. Ebel et al. (1980) reported that the adults emerge from overwintering pupae in the soil and lay small groups of eggs under the scales of cone stalks in the spring (April-May). The young larvae initially feed in groups in immature cones, then disperse to new cones where they tend to become more solitary feeders. As they evacuate the cones they leave small exit holes that pepper the cone. The dispersing larvae typically colonize new cones that are close by. Cones with solitary feeders have oval entry-exit holes that are around 2 x 3 mm near the cone base, together with small holes scattered along the cone surface where the larva breaks through the surface periodically while feeding. The cone interior is riddled and packed with frass and chewings, and the chewings and frass are sometimes present on the surface of the cones. When mature (June-July) the larvae drop from the cones and pupate in the soil until the following spring. The larvae are light pink-purple with brown heads.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: The range is centered on the southeastern US, but specimens have been observed as far north as Massachusetts. From there, the range extends southward to central Florida and westward to Mississippi, western Tennessee, and southern Indiana. As of 2022, most of our records are from the Piedmont, with only one from the Coastal Plain.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Eucopina cocanaAlamance 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.