Moths of North Carolina
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Epiblema Members:
1 NC Records

Epiblema desertana (Zeller, 1875) - No Common Name

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Tortricoidea Family: TortricidaeSubfamily: OlethreutinaeTribe: EucosminiP3 Number: 621085.00 MONA Number: 3190.00
Comments: In their work on the Epiblema of North America, Wright and Gillgan (2023) recognized this species as being a member of the 'desertana group' that has four species, including E. desertana, E. discretivana, and E. obfuscana that occur in the eastern U.S.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Wright and Gilligan (2023)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The following description is mostly based on that of Wright and Gilligan (2023). The palps, head, thorax and antennae vary from dark brown to blackish brown. The forewing has a prominent basal patch with transverse blackish reticulations that covers the basal third of the wing. The remainder of the wing is mostly light-colored, with the interfascial region that follows the basal patch often having an extensive pink suffusion. A gray patch with black speckling is present in the pretornal area at around two-thirds the wing length, and a short, blackish bar is often evident near the middle of the costa. The ocellus has a narrow white central field that is flanked laterally by pink transverse bands. The whitish to grayish costal stigulae are inconspicuous, and the termen has a prominent black band that extends from the termen to the apex. Epiblema desertana is similar to E. obfuscana, but the latter lacks the pinkish wash on the forewing that is seen in E. desertana and the black band along the termen terminates well before reaching the tornus.
Forewing Length: 6.7-9.6 mm; mean = 8.0 mm (Wright and Gilligan, 2023).
Adult Structural Features: Wright and Gilligan (2023) have descriptions and illustrations of the male and female genitalia.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The larvae are gall-makers that feed on Euthamia. Miller (1976) made limited observations which suggest that the larval life history is similar to that of E. scudderianum. The hatchlings and early instars appear to mine the growing tips of the host plant. They then shift to boring into the stem and tunneling, which triggers the formation of an elongated, spindle-shaped gall (Miller, 1963). After boring an entrance hole into the stem, the larva expands the hole with time and uses it to eject frass. The hole is typically located in the upper half of the gall, with the tunnels reaching a length of 4.5-4.7 cm. The mature galls occasionally rupture and expose the larval chamber, and the larvae respond by feeding in the adjacent portions of the stem. After the larvae are full-grown and have stopped feeding, they permanently seal the debris hole with a dark brown noncellular material that is probably of larval origin. They then excavate a moth exit tunnel in the upper half of the galls, leaving only a thin layer of plant tissue. The larvae spin silken funnels that guide the emerging insect into the exit, and complete their work before winter. The overwintering larvae pupate in the galls the following summer. The adults typically emerge in May and June in northern localities and local populations are univoltine (Miller, 1976).
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Epiblema desertana is found throughout much of the eastern U.S. and in adjoining areas of southern Canada (Ontario; Quebec). In the U.S. the range extends from southern Maine and other New England states southward to southern Florida, and westward mostly along the Gulf Coast to eastern Texas and central Oklahoma. Farther north the range extends westward to northern Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois. As of 2023, we have a single record from Onslow County near the coast.
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: The adults have been observed from February through September in different areas of the range, with the southernmost populations first flying from February through April. Northern populations are univoltine and have a more restricted flight season that peaks in May and June. As of 2023, our one record is from late-May.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Local populations are found in open habitats such as fields, prairies, open woods and roadways that support early-succssional composites.
Larval Host Plants: Miller (1976) conducted extensive searches of goldenrods (Solidago spp.) but only found E. desertana galls on Grass-leaved Flat-top Goldenrod (Euthamia graminifolia). - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights and can be found in galls on Euthamia.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR[S1S2]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: This species is rare within the state with only a single confirmed record as of 2023.

 Photo Gallery for Epiblema desertana - No common name

Photos: 1

Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2021-05-20
Onslow Co.
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