Moths of North Carolina
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Scardiella Members:
35 NC Records

Scardiella approximatella (Dietz, 1905) - No Common Name

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Tineoidea Family: TineidaeSubfamily: ScardiinaeTribe: [Scardiini]P3 Number: 300205.00 MONA Number: 308.00
Comments: Scardiella is a monotypic genus with a single known species from North America.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Robinson (1986)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The following description is based primarily on those of Dietz (1905) and Robinson (1986). The head is cream-colored and slightly tinged with brown. The labial palp is long, curved, ascending, and pale yellowish. The second joint is flecked with brown on the outer surface, with a brown brush beneath. The third joint is as long as the second and is tinged with brown on the outer surface of its basal half. The antenna is grayish brown with darker annulations. The thorax is cream-colored and the patagia brownish anteriorly. The forewing has a yellowish-white ground color with scattered, pale orangish brown scales. The most prominent mark is a dark brown fascia at about one-half the wing length that tends to be more irregular on the basal side. An extension from the basal side usually joins an oblique fascia that extends from near the base of the costa posteriorly, then ends before reaching the inner margin. The final conspicuous mark is a subterminal dark streak that run from the costa just before the apex, then curves anteriorly before terminating near the middle of the wing. A small dark spot is usually present on the costa immediate anterior to this streak. The cilia is pale, with a distinct line near the base. There is another wider but less clearly defined line near the outer edge of the forewing. These lines are interrupted by light bars that tend to produce a checkered pattern. The hindwing is as wide as the forewing, pale gray, and slightly tinged with fuscous. The cilia are slightly lighter, with a pale basal and a sub-basal line. The legs are buff cream, with the foreleg and mid-leg strongly marked with dark brown above. The tarsal joints of the anterior and middle pair are dark brown with pale bands at the apex. The hindleg is similar but lighter colored.
Wingspan: 13-16 mm Robinson (1986)
Adult Structural Features: Robinson (1986) has descriptions and illustrations of the male and female genitalia. He noted that the antennal cilia of the male are extremely long relative to other members of the Scardiinae.
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Very little is known about the larval ecology and life history. Forbes (1923) reported that the larvae were found in a rotten sycamore log where they were presumably feeding on fungi. The larvae were not described.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Scardiella approximatella is found in eastern North America, including extreme southern Canada (Manitoba; Ontario; Quebec) and almost all of the US east of the Mississippi. As of 2020, all of our records are from the Piedmont and lower elevations in the mountains.
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)

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