Moths of North Carolina
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74 NC Records

Larisa subsolana Miller, 1978 - Dark-based Larisa

Larisa subsolanaLarisa subsolanaLarisa subsolana
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Tortricoidea		 Family:
Tortricidae		Subfamily:
Olethreutinae		Tribe:
Grapholitini		P3 Number:
51a1273.70n		 MONA Number:
3423.00		 Other Common Name:
Larisa's Tortrix
Comments: Larisa is a monotypic genus with a single species that is widespread in eastern North America.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Miller (1978)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The following is based in part on the description by Miller (1978). The labial palp is slightly upturned, with the second segment expanded apically. The antenna is about two-fifths the forewing length and the scaling on the front and crown of the head is dense and bushy. The head, palps, antennae, and thorax are brown. The forewing ground color is light grayish brown to pale gray, often has fine, darker striations, and is sometimes heavily dusted with brown. The ground is overlain by a prominent dark brown basal patch that covers about a third of the wing, and a narrower dark fascia that extends from the costa just beyond the middle of the wing to the subtornal area of the inner margin. The fascia tends to be irregular in width and often with dark shaded on the inward margin that fades into the lighter interfascial area. The apical third of the wing is grayish brown and often has a faintly rusty brown tinge towards the costa. The fringe is grayish brown and the costal margin is faintly marked with a series of dark spots or short streaks. The hindwing is medium brown to grayish brown with a slightly paler fringe. Rhopobota finitimana resembles this species, but does not have a complete median fascia and has a well-developed eyespot at the apex that is lacking in Larisa.
Forewing Length: 3.8-5.8 mm for males; 4.1-6.3 mm for females (Miller, 1978)
Adult Structural Features: Miller (1978) and Gilligan et al. (2008) have illustrations of the male and female genitalia. The following descriptions are based on those of Miller (1978). In males, the uncus is well developed, sclerotized, and bifid. The gnathos is fused ventrally across the middle and the hami are long and finger-like. The valva is simple with a rudimentary clasper. A tuft of fine setae is present on the base of the sacculus, and one to several long, slender setae may be present on the latero-ventral surface of the cucuIIus. The aedeagus is sleeve-like, short, and tapered, and has 8-17 deciduous cornuti. The dorsal plate of the aneIIus is not developed.

In females, the papillae anales are simple, and the posterior apophyses is slightly longer to slightly shorter than the anterior apophyses. The sterigma is shield-shaped with short finger-like projections beside the ostium, which is on the anterior margin. The ductus bursae is short, enlarged near the middle, sclerotized except for a short distance beyond the enlargement, and convoluted at its junction with the corpus bursae. There are two thorn-like signa.
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The larvae feed on hickories, but details of the larval life history have not been reported.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Larisa subsolana is found in eastern North America, including in portions of southern Canada (Manitoba; Ontario; Quebec) and in much of the eastern US from Maine southward to southern Florida, and westward to central Texas, eastern Oklahoma, eastern Nebraska, and Minnesota. As of 2022 we have records from all three physiographic regions, with the great majority from the Piedmont.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Larisa subsolana
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 in Florida from March through October and from April through September elsewhere in the range. A seasonal peak in numbers typically occurs from May through July. As of 2022, our records extend from early May to mid-July.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Local populations are generally associated with hardwood or mixed conifer-hardwood forests that support hickories. These include bottomland forests as well as mesic to drier communities in upland settings.
Larval Host Plants: The larvae feed on Pecan (Carya illinoensis) and presumably other hickory species in North Carolina and elsewhere that are outside of the range of Pecan (Lam et al., 2011). There is a museum record that indicates feeding on Mountain Holly (Ilex mucronata; Brown et al., 2008). This specimen may be a misidentified Rhopobota finitimana, and the use of hollies needs additional verification. - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights. Information is needed on host use in North Carolina as well as details of the larval life history.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S4S5
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: Populations appear to be secure in North Carolina.

 Photo Gallery for Larisa subsolana - Dark-based Larisa

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

Recorded by: David George on 2025-05-17
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-05-16
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka, John Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-09
Cumberland Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: John Petranka, Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-08
Harnett Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: John Petranka, Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-08
Harnett Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Stephen Dunn on 2024-06-29
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-29
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-06-23
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Tracy Feldman, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Patrick Coin, Becky Watkins on 2024-06-08
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-02
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2024-05-18
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Rich Teper on 2024-05-13
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: John Petranka, David George on 2023-07-07
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-04
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: John Petranka, David George on 2023-06-30
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-25
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-06-21
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-17
New Hanover Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-06
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-03
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: John Petranka on 2023-06-02
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2023-06-01
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2023-05-31
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2023-05-31
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: John Petranka on 2023-05-29
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Erich Hofmann, Jesse Anderson on 2023-05-22
New Hanover Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2023-05-21
New Hanover Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2023-05-17
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2023-05-17
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-07-19
Chowan Co.
Comment: