Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Tortricidae Members:	Rhopobota Members:	63 NC Records

Rhopobota dietziana (Kearfott, 1907) - Winterberry Moth

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Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Tortricoidea

Family:
Tortricidae

Subfamily:
Olethreutinae

Tribe:
Eucosmini

P3 Number:
51a1189

MONA Number:
3277.00

Other Common Name:
Dietz's Rhopobota

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions:

Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD

Technical Description, Adults: Kearfott (1907a), Gilligan et al. (2008)

Adult Markings: The following is based in part on the original description by Kearfott (1907a). The head is pale brown on top, while the basal joints of the antenna and the face are white. The palps are white with brown shading often present on the outside of the first two segments, and the antenna shaft is light to medium brown. The thorax and ground of the forewing is dull grayish-white with scattered patches of orangish-brown scales. The forewing ground is overlain with three brownish-black regions, the most prominent being a sub-basal fascia at about one-third that is broad and extends from the inner margin to the costa. Before this there is usually a broken irregular line of blackish spots that extend from the inner margin towards the costa and represent a basal fascia of sorts. A third variably expressed fascia of sorts extends from the middle of the costa obliquely to the inner margin at about three-fourths. It often curves and terminates at the middle of the wing, but may continue to the inner margin as a poorly defined dark band. The costa has a series of faint whitish strigulae that are intermixed with brown dots or streaks. The dark streaks become more pronounced on the apical half and end before a dark apical spot at the apex. The ocellus is poorly defined and consists of a grayish-white region with one or two rows of brownish-black scales. The termen above the middle is bordered by a fine black line that runs to the apical spot, and the fringe is grayish-brown. The hindwing is smoky gray with concolorous cilia that have a slightly darker basal line.

This species superficially resembles both R. finitimana and R. naevana and is best distinguished by the whitish coloration on the face and the base of the antenna. Rhopobota finitimana differs in having a solid brown basal patch and a brown face, head and scape.

Adult Structural Features: Gilligan et al. (2008) has illustrations of the male and female genitalia. The authors note that the dorsolateral projections of the uncus of males are long, thin, and antenna-like, while in females the sclerotization of the corpus bursae nearly surrounds the juncture with the ductus bursae.

Structural photos

Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.

Immatures and Development: The larvae mine holly leaves. The young larvae form elongated, full-depth blotches and pile their silk-bound frass at the mine’s origin, which is usually at the leaf midrib (Eiseman, 2022). When using Winterberry the frass often forms a narrow, curved tube. The mines are frequently digitate due to the feeding larva pausing to dispose of frass, then returning to a different spot to resume feeding. The larvae eventually abandon their mines and feed in leaf shelters that are formed by either crumpling one leaf or tying two leaves together. A pupal case is sometimes made by cutting one or two small arcs in a leaf to form a flap in which the larva spins its cocoon.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Rhopobota dietziana is restricted to eastern North America, with the range including portions of southern Canada (Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia) and much of the eastern US from Maine southward to southern Florida and westward to eastern Texas, eastern Oklahoma, western Tennessee, western Kentucky, and northern Indiana. This species occurs statewide in North Carolina, but is less common in the Blue Ridge relative to the Piedmont and Coastal Plain.

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 have two or more broods per year. The adults have been found during most months of the year, but mostly fly from March through September. As of 2022, our records extend from early February through early November.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Local populations have been found in a variety of habitats that support native hollies, including coastal pinelands, maritime forests, pocosins, and bottomland forests.

Larval Host Plants: The larvae appear to specialize on hollies (Eiseman, 2022; Heppner, 2007; J.B. Sullivan, pers. obs.), with the known hosts including Dahoon Holly (Ilex cassine), Inkberry (I. glabra) and Common Winterberry (I. verticillata). - View

Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights and the mines can be found on native holly leaves.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Holly Thickets

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S3S5

State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.

Comments: This species appears to be relatively secure within the state given that it is widespread and locally common in many places.

Photo Gallery for Rhopobota dietziana - Winterberry Moth

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

	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-12 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-12 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin on 2025-05-24 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-23 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-23 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2025-04-05 Carteret Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2025-03-28 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-22 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-22 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-15 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-15 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Steve Hall on 2025-03-15 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2025-03-13 Onslow Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-07-08 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-06-19 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-06-19 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-15 Scotland Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-14 Scotland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-14 Scotland Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-05-25 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-04-01 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-04-01 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-04-01 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-04-01 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-03-20 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2024-03-07 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2024-03-05 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Andrew W. Jones on 2023-08-30 Polk Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn on 2023-03-26 New Hanover Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George on 2022-08-05 Durham Co. Comment: