Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFTortricidae Members: Gretchena Members: 5 NC Records

Gretchena delicatana Heinrich, 1923 - No Common Name

Gretchena delicatanaGretchena delicatanaGretchena delicatana
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Tortricoidea		 Family:
Tortricidae		Subfamily:
Olethreutinae		Tribe:
Eucosmini		P3 Number:
51a1173		 MONA Number:
3265.00
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, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Heinrich (1923)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: This is one of several species of Gretchena that is best identified using genitalia. Heinrich (1923) noted that this species is perhaps most similar in terms of external morphology to G. amatana, but differs in having narrower forewings and a cleaner looking, more diffused, and more whitish gray powdering on the forewing. The pale suffusion often extends along the costa to the wing base and breaks the basal patch. The longitudinal black scaling also tends to form a more continuous narrow line from the apex to well back on the upper margin of the cell, but does not form a conspicuous sickle-shaped mark as seen in some Gretchena. The hindwing is also paler, especially towards the base. As with many of our Gretchena, genitalia are the most reliable way to obtain a positive identification.
Wingspan: 14-16 mm (Heinrich, 1923)
Forewing Length: 6.5-8.5 mm (Gilligan et al., 2008).
Adult Structural Features: Gilligan et al. (2008) has illustrations of the male and female genitalia, which are diagnostic. They note that the male cucullus is more rectangular than in G. amatana, and that females lack semirectangular lobes on the posterolateral corners of sternum VII.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable only by close inspection of structural features or by DNA analysis.
Immatures and Development: The larval life history is undocumented.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Gretchena delicatana is found in eastern North America, with most records form the northeastern US and adjoining areas of Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia. In the US the range extends from Connecticut and Massachusetts westward to Illinois, and southward mostly through the Appalachian region to eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. As of 2024, all of our records are from the Blue Ridge.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Gretchena delicatanaAlamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey
Flight Dates:
High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
Piedmont (Pd)
Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: adults.