Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFTortricidae Members:
Gretchena Members:
2 NC Records

Gretchena concubitana Heinrich, 1923 - No Common Name

No image for this species.
Taxonomy
Superfamily: Tortricoidea Family: TortricidaeSubfamily: OlethreutinaeTribe: EucosminiP3 Number: 51a1168 MONA Number: 3260.00
Comments: Gretchena is a New World genus with 12 recognized species. Eleven species occur in North America, and eight of these are endemic to eastern North America.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: This is one of several species of Gretchena that is best identified using genitalia. The following description is based in part on that of Heinrich (1923), but likely does not capture the full range of variation within this species. The adults have an overall pale slate gray ground that is heavily dusted with grayish fuscous, which produces an overall slaty fuscous color on the head, thorax and forewing. The face is similar except for the upper part that is dark brownish fuscous. The slaty fuscous color of the forewing is overlain with darker blackish or brownish-black dusting. The dusting is concentrated around two lighter inward bulges along the inner margin at around one-fourth and one-half the wing length. These tend to create an hourglass pattern when resting adults are viewed from above. The dark dusting often extends from the wing base into a faint, elongated, outwardly angulate streak that reaches nearly to the upper outer angle of the cell. A dark spot or area of dark dusting is also often present near the inner margin before the tornus. The ocellus is rather indistinct and does not have a region of heavy dark shading just anterior to it as seen in some Gretchena species. The subcostal region has varying levels of dark dusting, and there is a series of narrow faint whitish strigulae along the costa. The hindwing is glossy, smoky brown and often paler towards the base. The cilia are lighter with a dark basal band.

Gilligan et al. (2008) noted that this species is similar in size and coloration to G. amatana and G. concitatricana, but the black forewing markings are considerably less distinct, particularly in the discal cell and anterior to the ocellus. The interfascial areas appear silvery gray, versus dirty whitish gray in G. amatana and brownish gray in G. concitatricana. As mentioned above, genitalia provide the best way to differentiate this species from several other Gretchena species.
Wingspan: 17-19 mm (Heinrich, 1923).
Forewing Length: 7.0-9.0 mm. (Gilligan et al., 2008).
Adult Structural Features: Gilligan et al. (2008) have illustrations of the genitalia.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable only by close inspection of structural features or by DNA analysis.
Immatures and Development: The larval life history is undocumented. The holotype was reared from a hickory, but details concerning the larval life history and ecology are lacking.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Gretchena concubitana is found in a large portion of the eastern US and in adjoining areas of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The range in the US extends from Connecticut southward to central Florida and westward to Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, and Illinois. As of 2024, we have two specimens from Purchase Knob in the Smokies.
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 fly from February through July in different areas of the range, with the primary flight season from April through June. Our two records from Purchase Knob are both from early June.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Local populations are associated with hardwood forests.
Larval Host Plants: The holotype was reared from a hickory (Carya sp.; Heinrich, 1923), which is the only reported host that we are aware of as of 2024. - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights. Much more information is needed on the host plants and larval life history. We recommend looking for leaf shelters on the undersides of hickory leaflets and rearing the adults.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR[S1S3]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: This appears to be a relatively rare species in North Carolina, but more information is needed on its distribution, abundance and habitat preferences before we can accurately assess its conservation status.