Moths of North Carolina
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1 NC Records

Hendecaneura shawiana (Kearfott, 1907) - Blueberry Tip Borer Moth

Hendecaneura shawiana
Taxonomy
Family: TortricidaeSubfamily: OlethreutinaeP3 Number: 51a1187 MONA Number: 3275.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Kearfott (1907a)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The following is based in part on the description by Kearfott (1907a). The head is light olivaceous brown on the crown and white in front, while the palps are whitish with the terminal segment often smoky brown. The antenna is fuscous, and the thorax is fuscous to grayish-brown and often with lighter specks on the posterior end. The forewing ground is blackish-brown with patches of orangish-brown scales that are concentrated in the apical third, and particularly in the sub-apical region. A conspicuous irregular white patch is present along the middle of the dorsal margin that extends inward to about one-quarter of the wing depth. The costa is mostly unmarked except for four white dashes on the outer half. The apical third of the wing has two angulated, parallel, shiny bluish-silvery to leaden-blue fascia (the second at the anal angle) that begin on the inner margin then angle at the middle before terminating at one of the white spots along the costa. The rather poorly expressed ocellus is nested between the two metallic bars and is orangish-brown with a few faint horizontal black lines. The fringe is grayish with a blackish basal line, and the hindwing is dark smoky brown with a whitish-gray fringe and a black basal line. The legs are grayish-white and shaded with blackish-brown.
Wingspan: 11.5-12.0 mm for males; 9.5-14.5 mm for females (Kearfott, 1907a)
Adult Structural Features: Heinrich (1923) has an illustration of the male genitalia and the forewing venation.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The larvae are stem borers on blueberries and can become pests in commercial blueberry plantings. Schaefers (1962) reported that the adults emerge in early June and oviposit on the undersides of the tip leaves. A female will usually lay a single egg on each young shoot, and the young larvae bore into the tips of the shoots and begun feeding soon after hatching. The larvae undergo five instars as borers, with the last instar overwinter in the stem. Boring typically causes 20-25 cm of the shoot tip to wilt and die. Pupation occurs following the spring warm-up in late April and the adults emerge a few weeks later.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Hendecaneura shawiana is found in eastern North America at mostly northern latitudes. Populations have been found in Canada from Ontario eastward to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and in the US in Michigan, New York, and in mostly costal habitats from Maine southward to coastal North Carolina. As of 2022, we have a single record from Onslow County.
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 are univoltine. The adults have been collected from April through August, with a seasonal peak typically in June. As of 2022, our one record is from 24 April.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: This species appears to be a specialist on blueberries and is found in open to partially sunny sites that support the host plants.
Larval Host Plants: Blueberries (Vaccinium spp. ) are the only known host, including commercial varieties (Robinson et al., 2010; Schaefers, 1962). - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights and the larvae can be found by searching in stems with wilted or dead shoot tips.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S1-S3]
State Protection:
Comments: This species appears to be at the southern limit of its range in North Carolina where it seems to be rare. We need additional information on its distribution and abundance before we can accurately assess its conservation status.

 Photo Gallery for Hendecaneura shawiana - Blueberry Tip Borer Moth

Photos: 1

Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2020-04-24
Onslow Co.
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