Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFTineidae Members:
Kearfottia Members:
55 NC Records

Kearfottia albifasciella Fernald, 1904 - White-patched Kearfottia

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Tineoidea Family: TineidaeSubfamily: Tineidae-unplacedTribe: [Tineidae-unplaced]P3 Number: 300006.00 MONA Number: 319.00
Comments: Kearfottia is a monotypic genus that has been placed in the both the family Tineidae and Psychidae by different experts.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: (Leckie and Beadle, 2018)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1923)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: This is an easily recognizable species. The basal and apical thirds of the forewing are deep brown and contrast sharply with the middle third, which is cream white to white and wavy on the posterior margin. The head, thorax, and antenna are also deep brown, and the antenna is slightly less than half the length of the forewing. There are usually several dark spots along the costa and two or three along the dorsal margin of the cream-colored band. The legs are dark above on the proximal half, with light and dark banding on the tarsi.
Wingspan: 8-12 mm (Forbes, 1923)
Forewing Length: 5-7 mm (Leckie and Beadle, 2018)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The life history of the larval stage is undocumented.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Kearfottia albifasciella is found in eastern North America, and is widespread throughout much of the eastern US and southern Ontario and Quebec. The range in the US extends from Maine and other New England states southward to Florida, and westward to eastern Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Illinois. This species occurs statewide in North Carolina, but is most prevalent in the Piedmont and lower elevations of 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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