Moths of North Carolina
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5 NC Records

Eucopina monitorana Heinrich, 1920 - Red Pinecone Borer Moth

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Tortricoidea Family: TortricidaeSubfamily: OlethreutinaeTribe: EucosminiP3 Number: 621060.00 MONA Number: 3073.00 MONA Synonym: Eucosma monitorana
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.
Species Status: This is one of several species that feed on the cones of pines and can cause high seed mortality in infested populations.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Powell (1968)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The following is based primarily on the original description by Heinrich (1920). The palp is white with black dusting and has a terminal segment that is white with a broad black band. The head and face are cream yellow, while the thorax is rusty red. The extremities of the patagia and the posterior region of the thorax are tipped with black scales. The ground color of the forewing is rusty red and is darkest on the basal fourth, which is faintly marked by ill-defined streaks of black and silvery scales. A broad irregular fascia of cream yellow and white scales extends from just before the middle of the costa to the middle of the dorsal margin. Beyond this is a narrower band of similar coloration (often broken into two large blotches) that extends from the outer one-third of the costa to the tornus. Two small spots of the red ground color are present along the costa at the base of the band, and one or two small whitish marks may be present between the band and the apex. The cilia are smoky gray with a narrow black line at the base. The hindwing is smoky gray brown and becomes darker at the apex, while the cilia are pale with a dark sub-basal line.
Wingspan: 13-16 mm (Heinrich, 1920)
Forewing Length: 6.5-9.0 mm (Gilligan et al., 2008)
Adult Structural Features: Powell (1968) has illustrations of the male and female genitalia.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The following life history account is largely based on studies by Lyons (1957) in Quebec, Canada where the larvae feed on Red Pine and have five instars. Barras and Norris (1969) made similar observations when studying a population in a Red Pine plantation in Wisconsin. In the Canadian study, the first-instar larvae appear in early or mid-June and bore into the upper part of the second-year cones. After entering, they tunnel down the face of the scale toward the cone axis and feed on immature ovules. At this stage there can be 25 or more young larvae in a single cone. The early instars continue to feed inside the cone as long as there is edible material, but the fourth-instar larvae leave and colonize new cones. These bear entrance holes that are 1-2 mm wide and seldom contain more than five larvae per cone. After reaching a new cone, the fourth-instar larva tunnels circumferentially beneath the surface of the cone over the width of several scales and then bores toward the cone axis, where it moults. The fifth-instar larva then assumes a longitudinal position in the cone axis where it constructs a large chamber and feeds on the surrounding ovules. The cone dies after being channeled and the larvae pack their frass tightly into their old burrows and seldom eject their frass from the cone. The infested cones also contain little or no webbing. Both of these features are helpful in distinguishing the infested cones from those of other cone-inhabiting lepidopteras.

The final instar larvae leave the cones beginning about mid-July and pupate in the soil beneath infested trees. Pupation occurs in elongated, thin-walled, soil-covered cocoons (Barras and Norris, 1969). Overwintering occurs in the pupal stage and the adults emerge the following May. The mature larva are about 12 mm long and are grayish white with a brown head and pronotum.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: This species has northern affinities and is found in eastern North America from southern Canada (Ontario; Quebec) westward to northern Indiana, Wisconsin and Minnesota, then southward mostly through the Appalachian region to central and eastern Kentucky, western Virginia, eastern Tennessee, and North Carolina. As of 2022, we have only three site records that include two lower-elevation sites in the Blue Ridge and one in the Piedmont.
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 are univoltine, with the adults flying between April and July depending on the latitude. Most records are from May, as are all of ours as of 2022.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: This species relies rather heavily on Red Pine at northern latitudes where it is commonly found on level or gently rolling sand plains, on low ridges adjacent to lakes and swamps, and on mountain slopes and hilltops. The hosts are poorly documented in the southern portion of the range, but Virginia Pine is one of the known host (Powell, 1968). Virginia Pine is common at sites that have moderate to dry soils, and often becomes established at high densities following fires, clearcutting, or other landscape disturbances.
Larval Host Plants: Red Pinecone Borer Moth appears to rely heavily on Red Pine (Pinus resinosa) at northern latitudes and has been documented using Virginia Pine (P. virginiana) at one site in Virginia (Powell, 1968). More information is needed on host use in the southern Appalachians. - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights and the larvae can be found in cones during the summer months.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S2-S3.
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: Populations in North Carolina are at the southern limit of the range. This species appears to be uncommon to rare in the western half of the state.

 Photo Gallery for Eucopina monitorana - Red Pinecone Borer Moth

Photos: 6

Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-05-05
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-05-03
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-05-03
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2021-04-24
Cabarrus Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-05-16
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-05-16
Madison Co.
Comment: