Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFTortricidae Members: Epiblema Members: 16 NC Records

Epiblema minutana (Kearfott, 1905) - No Common Name

Epiblema minutanaEpiblema minutanaEpiblema minutanaEpiblema minutana
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Tortricoidea		 Family:
Tortricidae		Subfamily:
Olethreutinae		Tribe:
Eucosmini		P3 Number:
51a1065.1		 MONA Number:
3172.10
Comments: In their monograph and revision of Epiblema, Wright and Gilligan (2023) placed E. minutana in the strenuana group and noted that most of the taxonomic history of this group has centered around whether this species and a closely related form, E. strenuana, are distinct species or not. Various authors have treated them as being both conspecific and heterospecific since the early 1900's. In the most recent study Gilligan et al. (2020a) treated them as separate species based on barcoding, wing coloration, and the shape of the female sterigma.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Wright and Gilligan (2023).                                                                                  
Adult Markings: Epiblema minutana is a primarily brownish-gray to dark gray moth. The interfascial spot near the middle of the inner margin is often absent, but when expressed is pale gray. The ocellus is prominent and has a whitish central field that is flanked laterally by grayish transverse bands and bisected by a longitudinal, slightly curved black dash. The white costal strigulae are usually well expressed and there are no orangish-brown lines between the striae in the subcostal area near the apex (Gilligan et al., 2020a). This species is most easily confused with E. strenuana, which is brown, with most of the costal strigulae being inconspicuous. In addition, the associated gray striae of the latter extend toward the termen and are usually separated by lines of orangish-brown scales. Epiblema minutana also has a whitish face and palps versus a brownish face and palps in E. strenuana. Female genitalia are also useful in separating the two species. Forewing length overlaps substantially between the two species, although on average E. strenuana is slightly larger (mean FWL = 7.1 mm for E. strenuana versus 6.0 mm for E. minutana).
Forewing Length: 4.3–7.9 mm (Gilligan et al., 2020a).
Adult Structural Features: Wright and Gilligan (2023) and Gilligan et al. (2020a) have descriptions and illustrations of the male and female genitalia, and note that the female sterigma of E. strenuana is more elongate and rectangular than in E. minutana, where the sterigma is often ovate.
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].
Immatures and Development: The larvae are stem borers in ragweeds. Stegmaier (1971) found both E. strenuana and E. minutana feeding on Ambrosia artimisiifolia in Florida. The larvae of E. strenuana fed on the lateral branches of mature plants where they formed fusiform galls, while those of E. minutana fed in the main stem (rarely in the lateral stems) and did not form galls.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Epiblema minutana is found throughout most of the eastern U.S. where scattered populations have been found from southern Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont southward to southern Florida, and westward to Texas, eastern Oklahoma, eastern Nebraska, Minnesota and northeastern North Dakota. Isolated populations have also been found in southern California. As of 2024, most of our records are from the Coastal Plain, particularly the Sandhills, with a few other records from the eastern Piedmont and lower elevations in the Blue Ridge.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Epiblema minutanaAlamance 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.
Flight Comments: The adults have been found from January through August in Florida and mostly from April through September elsewhere, with a peak in August in many areas of the range. As of 2024, our records extend from late April through late-July.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Most of our records are from dry, open habitats, including coastal dunes and xeric Sandhills communities. We have far fewer records from more mesic habitats in the Piedmont and Blue Ridge.
Larval Host Plants: This species appears to specialize on ragweeds (Gilligan et al., 2020a; Wright and Gilligan, 2023; McClay, 1987). Eastern populations use Common Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia; Wright and Gilligan, 2023), while populations in the western U.S. have been documented using Beach Bur (A. chamissonis) and Perennial Ragweed (A. psilostachya). The latter species occurs in North Carolina in the Sandhills and could potentially serve as a host there. The adults have also been reared in Mexico from field-collected larvae that fed on Weakleaf Bur Ragweed (A. confertiflora; McClay, 1987). They also use Lacy Ragweed (A. tenuifolia) in Israel where this species and E. minutana both have been introduced (Gilligan et al., 2020a). - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights and larvae can be found in the stems of ragweeds.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S3S4]
State Protection:
Comments: This is a widespread species that is probably more common than our records suggest due to undercollecting and confusion with closely related species.

 Photo Gallery for Epiblema minutana - None

Photos: 13
Epiblema minutanaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George on 2025-05-09
Cumberland Co.
Comment: 		Epiblema minutanaRecorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2025-05-02
Pender Co.
Comment:
Epiblema minutanaRecorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2025-05-02
Pender Co.
Comment: 		Epiblema minutanaRecorded by: David George, Bonnie Eamick on 2025-04-25
Wake Co.
Comment:
Epiblema minutanaRecorded by: Jim Petranka, John Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-04-14
Bladen Co.
Comment: 		Epiblema minutanaRecorded by: John Petranka and Jim Petranka on 2023-05-19
Moore Co.
Comment:
Epiblema minutanaRecorded by: John Petranka and Jim Petranka on 2023-05-19
Moore Co.
Comment: 		Epiblema minutanaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-05-17
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Epiblema minutanaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-04-21
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Epiblema minutanaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2022-06-06
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Epiblema minutanaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-04-28
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Epiblema minutanaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-04-28
Madison Co.
Comment:
Epiblema minutanaRecorded by: Darryl Willis on 2020-04-10
Cabarrus Co.
Comment: