Moths of North Carolina
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
« »
View PDFTortricidae Members:
Corticivora Members:
63 NC Records

Corticivora parva Brown, 1984 - Bronze-banded Corticivora

Corticivora parvaCorticivora parvaCorticivora parvaCorticivora parva
Taxonomy
Superfamily: Tortricoidea Family: TortricidaeSubfamily: OlethreutinaeTribe: GrapholitiniP3 Number: 51a1273.51n MONA Number: 3446.20
Comments: This is one of three congeneric species that are found in North America north of Mexico (Brown, 1994).
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Brown (1984)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: All three of the species in this genus are very small -- Brown (1984) described them as the smallest tortricids occurring in North America. The following description is primarily from that of Brown (1984). The head and palps are creamy white, and the scape of the antenna has elongated scales that cover the pedicel. The thorax and ground of the forewing is creamy white with intermixed amounts of light grayish brown. The forewing ground is overlain with two brown to bronzy-brown bands that extend from the inner margin to the costa. The first is at one-fourth and often fills the entire basal region to form a patch, while the second occurs just beyond the middle and terminates in the subtornal region. Both bands have an outer edge that is more-or-less straight. A subapical spot is also usually present that can range from a small spot to a larger patch. The interfascial area between the basal and median band often has a thin, dark, broken line. The outer wing margin has a line of dark spots, and the fringe is grayish brown with white tips. The hindwing is light grayish brown with a concolorous fringe.

All three species in this genus have similar wing patterns, but C. parva can be distinguished from C. clarki by the straight rather than clearly angulate outer margin of the basal dark band. It also lacks a bulge on the outer margin of the median band and the subterminal spot or blotch is poorly developed relative to that of C. clarki. Corticivora parva and C. chica are apparently indistinguishable based on outward appearance and need to be dissected to confirm their identities. The latter species was only known from Florida when originally described and is known from only one site along the coast in North Carolina. Specimens collected from coastal savannas should be dissected, while those from inland sites can be safely assumed to be C. parva.
Forewing Length: 3.0 -4.75 mm (Brown, 1984)
Adult Structural Features: The scape of the antennae is covered with elongated scales in this species, with much shorter scales present in C. clarki. Brown (1984) has illustrations of the male and female genitalia as well as information on how to separate the three species in this genus by their genitalic features.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].
Immatures and Development: The larvae have been reported to feed on pines (Wagner et al., 2003), but details of the life history have not been reported.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Corticivora parva occurs in much of the eastern US and in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. In the US, the range extends from Massachusetts southward to southern Florida, and westward to eastern Texas, eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, and Nebraska, with a possible geographic isolate in Colorado. This species occurs statewide in North Carolina except for the higher elevations in the Blue Ridge.
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: Specimens have been observed from January through November in Florida and from March through October elsewhere, with a seasonal peak from May through August. As of 2022, we have records from late-March through late-September, which suggests that there are two broods annually -- at least in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: This species is generally associated with pine or mixed pine-hardwood forests.
Larval Host Plants: Pinus rigida is the only reported host (Wagner et al., 2003), but other pines are presumably used. - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S4-S5
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 common and widespread in North Carolina and shows no evidence of marked population declines.

 Photo Gallery for Corticivora parva - Bronze-banded Corticivora

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

Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-28
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2024-06-19
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Lior S. Carlson, Dean Furbish on 2024-06-17
Lincoln Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-17
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-05-25
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2024-04-17
New Hanover Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2024-04-16
New Hanover Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2024-04-16
New Hanover Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2024-04-16
New Hanover Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-08-18
Caswell Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Steve Hall, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Becky Watkins on 2023-07-22
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-06
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2023-07-02
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-25
Orange 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: Jim Petranka, Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2022-08-28
Moore Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-06-16
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2022-06-15
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-06-13
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-06-12
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, L.M. Carlson, Becky Watkins on 2022-06-09
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, L.M. Carlson, Becky Watkins on 2022-06-09
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2022-06-05
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2022-05-23
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-05-19
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2021-08-24
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Bo Sullivan on 2021-08-10
Moore Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Bo Sullivan on 2021-08-09
Moore Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2021-05-17
Onslow Co.
Comment: