Moths of North Carolina

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Epiblema obfuscana (Dyar, 1888) - Blue-washed Goldenrod Borer Moth

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Tortricoidea

Family:
Tortricidae

Subfamily:
Olethreutinae

Tribe:
Eucosmini

P3 Number:
51a1086.2

MONA Number:
3189.00

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions:

Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD

Technical Description, Adults: Wright and Gilligan (2023)

Adult Markings: The following description is based in part on that of Wright and Gilligan (2023). In this species the face, head, thorax, and base of the antennae are covered with inky blue-black scales. The thorax is blackish-brown, while the forewing ground color is a dirty grayish white with darker markings. An outwardly angulated basal patch covers the basal third of the wing and varies from smoky gray to blackish-gray. It is followed by a diffuse grayish white medial band that has well-developed, gray transverse reticulations. Following this is a vaguely defined blackish-gray pretornal mark. The entire ocelloid region that follows the pretornal mark is more whitish than gray, rendering the ocellus barely detectable. The termen has an inky blue-black band that extends from the tornus to just beyond the middle of the wing. The hindwing is black with a white fringe on the posterior margin.

This species most closely resembles E. discretivana but is a little larger (mean FWL = 8.0 vs. 6.9 mm) and has inky blue-black scales on the face, head, thorax, and base of the antennae that are lacking in E. discretivana. The two are most easily distinguished by the dark band along the termen. It extends from the apex to the tornus in E. discretivana but terminates well before reaching the tornus (at the CUA vein) in E. obfuscana. Epiblema obfuscana also resembles E. desertana, but in the latter the gray transverse reticulations in the medial band are poorly developed and the dark band on the termen extends all the way from the apex to the tornus.

Forewing Length: 6.9-9.3 mm; mean = 8.0 mm (Wright and Gilligan, 2023).

Adult Structural Features: Wright and Gilligan (2023) provide descriptions and illustrations of the male and female genitalia.

Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.

Immatures and Development: Epiblema obfuscana is a stem-borer that appears to specialize on goldenrods. Putman (1942) studied this species in Canada and reported that the young larvae enter the stems of Solidago altissima within roughly 10-15 cm of the tip, then tunnel horizontally about the stem, which girdles it and causes the tip to die. They then tunnel and feed their way slowly down to the stem base where they overwinter below the level of the soil. The larvae presumably pupate within the dead stalks a few weeks before the adults emerge in June. Late-instar larvae examined by MacKay (1959) had yellowish heads with a distinctly darker post-clypeal area. The thoracic shield, anal shield, and thoracic legs were very pale and very similar to the body color. The setal pinacula were large and also similar in color to the body.

Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Epiblema obfuscana is found in the eastern U.S. and in portions of southern Canada, including Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. There is also an isolated population in Washington State that appears to be this species (Wright and Gilligan, 2023). The range in the U.S. extends from Maine southwestward through the Appalachian region to central Alabama, central Mississippi and Louisiana, and westward to western Tennessee, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota and northeastern North Dakota. Epiblema obfuscana is largely absent from the southeastern Coastal Plain. As of 2024, all of our records are from the Piedmont and lower-elevations in the Blue Ridge.

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: Populations appear to be univoltine throughout the range, with the adults flying from April through July. Most populations have a season peak in May and June. As of 2024, our records range from mid-May through mid-July.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: This species is commonly found in fragmented landscapes with fields, forests, infrastructure corridors and residential developments.

Larval Host Plants: The larvae appear to specialize on goldenrods (Forbes, 1923; Heinrich, 1923; Clarke, 1935; Putman, 1942; MacKay, 1959; Miller, 1987; Lam et al., 2011). The only known host that we are aware of is Tall Goldenrod (Solidago altissima) as reported by Putman (1942). Other goldenrods are presumably used, but this has yet to be verified. - View

Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights and the larvae can be found burrowing in goldenrod stems.

Wikipedia

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR[S3S4]

State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.

Comments:

Photo Gallery for Epiblema obfuscana - Blue-washed Goldenrod Borer Moth

Photos: 21

	Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-03 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-03 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-05-31 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-05-31 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2023-05-23 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2022-04-13 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-05-24 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-05-24 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-05-17 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2021-05-16 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2021-05-16 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-05-30 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-05-30 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-05-30 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-05-02 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-05-02 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2016-06-04 Cabarrus Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2016-06-03 Cabarrus Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Harry Wilson on 2016-05-28 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Harry Wilson on 2016-05-28 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2015-06-11 Cabarrus Co. Comment: