Moths of North Carolina
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Dichrorampha Members:
2 NC Records

Dichrorampha incanana (Clemens, 1860) - No Common Name

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Tortricoidea Family: TortricidaeSubfamily: OlethreutinaeTribe: GrapholitiniP3 Number: 621277.00 MONA Number: 3407.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Kearfott, 1907 (as Hemimene nigromaculana)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Priest (2008)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The following is based in part on the description by Kearfott (1907). The upper head and antennae are light brown, and the lower face and lower head are dull white. The palps are dull white, with the outer half of the tuft on the second joint brownish-gray to black. The forewing ground color is brownish black with scattered, pale whitish mottling that is most prominent on the basal half. An oblique white dorsal patch is present along the inner margin at about one-half the wing length. The patch is formed of two pairs of fused striae and has two or three fine darker striations within. It extends to near the middle of the wing where it abuts a yellowish-brown ocellus at the middle of the subterminal region that has three horizontal black bars. The costa has a series of paired or single strigulae that often continue as obscure grayish, grayish-brown, or metallic blue lines that extend into the interior of the wing. The most prominent one originates on the costa just anterior to the ocellus where it curves apically then projects to the inner margin in the subtornal region. The apical fifth has patches of yellowish-brown scales and the termen has four dark spots near the middle. The fringe is brown with a faint whitish central band, and the hindwing is dark brown to blackish with a fringe that is similar to that of the forewing.
Forewing Length: 4.0-5.0 mm (Gilligan et al., 2008)
Adult Structural Features: Miller (1987) and Gilligan et al. (2008) have illustrations of the male genitalia and what are presumed to be the female genitalia (see Gilligan et al., 2008). The distinctive features of the males include a basal excavation that is large, a narrow neck, a saccular angle of approximately 90°, and an anal angle of the cucullus that is well defined and projects towards the sacculus. In females, the posterior extremity of the ductus bursae has a heavily sclerotized twist and is fused with a ridge that extends laterally from the ostium bursae.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Eiseman (2014, 2022) observed the larvae mining the leaves of Roundleaf Ragwort. The mine begins as a lower-surface linear track along a vein. As the larva works towards the leaf apex, the mine expands to form an irregular full-depth blotch. The black frass consists of oval to elongate frass pellets that are mostly deposited in clusters along the margins of the mine. The initial linear portion is used as a retreat when the larva is disturbed, and the last instar exits the mine to pupate. Priest (2008) made similar observations when larvae mined the leaves of Indian Plaintain in Michigan. The last instar larvae are pale yellow with tan heads and lighter prothoracic shields. In the latter study the larvae exited the mines from late August to late September to pupate, which presumably occurred in the soil. One adult emerged in the fall and a second the following spring, which suggest the possibility of northern populations being bivoltine. Larvae that Eiseman (2014) collected in Connecticut in early April gave rise to an adult in early June.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Dichrorampha incanana has been found in the eastern US from Vermont, Connecticut, and New York westward to Ontario, Michigan and Illinois, and southward through the Appalachian region to western North Carolina. As of 2022, we have only two site records from North Carolina from the Blue Ridge. Populations in North Carolina may constitute a southern disjunct from the main range, which terminates in northern Kentucky and southern Ohio.
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: Population appear to be univoltine or possibly bivoltine (Priest, 2008). The adults fly from May through October in different areas of the range. As of 2022, our two site records are both from 7 June.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Local populations are generally associated with shaded or partially shaded woodlands and woodland edges.
Larval Host Plants: The known hosts include Roundleaf Ragwort (Packera obovata) and Pale Indian-plantain (Arnoglossum atriplicifolium; Eiseman, 2014; Priest, 2008). Great Indian-plantain Arnoglossum reniforme was common at a site in Madison County where two adults were collected, which suggests that it could serve as a host in North Carolina. - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights and the mines can be found on the host plants during the spring and summer months. We need information on host use in North Carolina.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S1-S2]
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 rare or uncommon throughout its range. As of 2022, we have only one recent record for this species in North Carolina where the populations here may be disjunct from those to the north.

 Photo Gallery for Dichrorampha incanana - No common name

Photos: 3

Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-06-07
Madison Co.
Comment: Determined by J.B. Sullivan based on dissection.		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-06-07
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-06-07
Madison Co.
Comment: