Moths of North Carolina
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33 NC Records

Proteoteras moffatiana Fernald, 1905 - Maple Bud Borer Moth

Proteoteras moffatianaProteoteras moffatianaProteoteras moffatianaProteoteras moffatiana
Taxonomy
Superfamily: Tortricoidea Family: TortricidaeSubfamily: OlethreutinaeTribe: EucosminiP3 Number: 51a1138 MONA Number: 3235.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Fernald (1905)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The fresh adults of this species are distinctive in having a lichen-green ground that is overlain with additional patterning. The following
description is based in part by that of Fernald (1905) and Forbes (1923). The ground color of the head, thorax and forewing of fresh specimens is light to medium green, but worn specimens can have a mosaic of green and silvery-white patches. The ground of the forewing is overlain with several dark marks, including a region in the basal third that is mottled with gray and heavy black marbling (Forbes, 1923). The most prominent mark is a black angular band that begins at the costa just beyond the middle and extends obliquely to the middle of the wing. From there it angles sharply to run roughly parallel with the costa to about three-fourths, then makes a somewhat stepped or arced cut before terminating just before reaching the outer margin. The costa usually has a relatively large dark blotch at around one-fourth and a series of smaller dark spots that increase in size as they extend towards the apex. As in other members of this genus, the thorax and forewings are heavily tufted, which produces a lumpy body appearance. The hindwing and dorsum of the abdomen are fuscous and the cilia have a thin dark marginal line near the base.
Wingspan: 14-20 mm (Heinrich, 1923).
Forewing Length: 7.0-9.5 mm (Gilligan et al., 2008).
Adult Structural Features: Gilligan et al. (2008) provide illustrations of the genitalia. Males have black costal scaling only on the ventral surface of the hindwing. The costal scales adjacent to the hair pencil on the dorsal surface of the hindwing are pale greenish gray (Gilligan et al., 2008).
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Simmons and Knight (1973) studied a population in Michigan and found that the larvae enter the terminal buds of Sugar Maple in late summer at the point where the leaf petioles attach to the terminal bud and form a wide "V". The larvae mine the buds and overwinter in the excavated space inside the bud. The following spring they leave the dead buds that are used for overwintering and mine additional buds before shoot elongation has been completed. Bud mining and the subsequent loss of the terminal bud cause many saplings to have forked main stems and reduces their value as a source of timber. The larvae measure about 10 mm long when fully grown and are dull orange with black head capsules.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Proteoteras moffatiana is found in eastern North America and primarily in the eastern US, but also in southern Canada from Nova Scotia westward to Ontario. In the US the range extends from the New England states westward through the Great Lakes region to Minnesota, then southward to eastern Oklahoma, Alabama, and Georgia. It is absent or rare in the Coastal Plain. As of 2022 our records are all from the Piedmont and 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: Local populations appear to be univoltine throughout the range, with most flying from June though August. As of 2022, our records extend from mid-May through mid-August.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Local populations are associated with hardwood or mixed pine-hardwood forests where maples are present.
Larval Host Plants: The larvae feed on maples (Prentice, 1965; Miller, 1987; Godfrey et al., 1987; Heppner, 2007; Lam et al., 2011), including Red Maple (Acer rubrum), Silver Maple (A. saccharinum) and Sugar Maple (A. sacharum). Elderberry (Sambucus) and roses (Rosa) have also been reported to be hosts (Godfrey et al., 1987; Brown et al, 2008), but this is questionable given that members of this genus specialize on maples and buckeyes. - View
Observation Methods: The adults appear to occasionally visit lights. More information is need on host use in North Carolina.
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: We currently do not have sufficient information on the distribution and abundance of this species within the state to accurately assess its conservation status.

 Photo Gallery for Proteoteras moffatiana - Maple Bud Borer Moth

42 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Patrick Coin, Steve Hall, Carol Tingley, Tom Howard on 2024-07-27
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-07-11
Watauga Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Bo Sullivan on 2023-08-08
Ashe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, L.M. Carlson, Becky Watkins on 2022-08-14
Avery Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-08-14
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-08-14
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-08-09
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-08-09
Watauga Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: John Petranka on 2022-08-07
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Stefanie Hedrick on 2022-08-03
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-07-14
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-07-14
Guilford Co.
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Recorded by: Richard Teper on 2022-06-24
Avery Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-06-21
Guilford Co.
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Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-06-21
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, L.M. Carlson, Becky Watkins on 2022-06-09
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-06-04
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-06-04
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-05-30
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-05-30
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2021-05-18
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2021-05-18
Guilford Co.
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Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-07-28
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-07-28
Guilford Co.
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Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-07-01
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-07-01
Guilford Co.
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Recorded by: Steve Hall on 2020-06-24
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Steve Hall on 2020-06-24
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: Steve Hall on 2020-06-24
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-06-21
Guilford Co.
Comment: