Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFTortricidae Members: Cydia Members: 14 NC Records

Cydia erotella (Heinrich, 1923) - No Common Name

Cydia erotellaCydia erotellaCydia erotellaCydia erotella
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Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Tortricoidea		 Family:
Tortricidae		Subfamily:
Olethreutinae		P3 Number:
51a1371		 MONA Number:
3485.00
Comments: Cydia is a large genus with over 200 described species that occur worldwide, and with around 50 species in North America. Several species are important economic pests that often feed on fruits and seeds.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Heinrich (1923a)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The following is based primarily on the description by Heinrich (1923a). The palps and face are whitish and the antenna, head, thorax and forewing shining drab brown. The forewing ground color tends towards medium brown near the base and darker brown on the apical two-thirds, with the apical half commonly having numerous, vertical, bronzy or yellowish-golden striations. The ocellus has a vertical, metallic bar on the anterior and posterior margins, with the former longer and sometimes extending to the sub-tornal region of the inner margin. The central field has bronzy or yellowish-golden striations and there are three or four small, faint, black dots or dashes against the inner side of the outer bar.

The costa typically has seven white dashes that include a pair just before middle, a pair just after the middle, a single one just beyond two-thirds (often represented as a spot) and a pair just before the apex. Several metallic bands extend from these. The first is an outwardly angulated band that is margined with white on the anterior side. It arises from the first pair of dashes and extends obliquely to near the mid-wing before angling back to the inner margin. A similar metallic band that lacks white edging arises from the second pair of white dashes. It runs parallel with the first and connects with the anterior vertical bar on the ocellus. A third bar extends from the costal spot near two-thirds to the central field of the ocellus. A final bar originates from the sub-apical pair of white dashes and curves towards the termen where it appears to cut the black basal line with white. The fringe is leaden-colored to light fuscous and has a black basal line along the termen. The hindwing is brown and concolorous with the darker part of the forewing, while the cilia is slightly paler and has a dark basal band. This species is similar to C. toreuta and C. ingens, but can be distinguished by its small size and the anteriormost metallic bar that is more angulated and has white edging on its inner margin.
Wingspan: 9-10 mm (Heinrich, 1923a)
Adult Structural Features: Illustrations of the male and female genitalia are on BugGuide.
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The larval life history is poorly documented, but the larvae appear to feed in pitch nodules associated with injured pine trees. Heinrich (1923a) reported that an adult was reared from a larva that was in a pitch nodule on Loblolly Pine, while Jim Petranka recently reared an adult from Madison County that emerged from a pitch nodule that was made by Retinia virginiana on Pitch Pine.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: The range is rather poorly defined because of the paucity of records for this species. Scattered populations have been from New Hampshire southward to northern Florida and westward to eastern Texas, western Tennessee, and southern Ohio. As of 2023, we have records from all three physiographic provinces.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Cydia erotellaAlamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New%20Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: adults.
Immature Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: immatures.
Flight Comments: The adults have been documented from March through August, with most flying between May and August. As of 2023, we have records from mid-April through early-August.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Local populations are associated with pine or mixed pine-hardwood communities.
Larval Host Plants: The larvae appear to feed within pitch nodules of injured pine trees. The only reported hosts are Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda; Heinrich 1923a) and a recent record in North Carolina of a larva using Virginia Pine (P. virginiana). - View
Observation Methods: The adults occasionally appear at lights.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S2S4
State Protection:
Comments: This species appears to be uncommon in the state, but additional inofrmation is needed on host use, distribution, and abundance before we can accurately assess its conservation status.

 Photo Gallery for Cydia erotella - None

Photos: 14
Cydia erotellaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-05
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Cydia erotellaRecorded by: Jim Petranka, John Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-04-14
Bladen Co.
Comment: Male (dissected).
Cydia erotellaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-04-05
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Cydia erotellaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2024-04-17
New Hanover Co.
Comment:
Cydia erotellaRecorded by: John Petranka on 2024-03-16
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Cydia erotellaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-04-15
Madison Co.
Comment: An adult that emerged from a pitch nodule on Virginia Pine that was produced by Retinia virginiana.
Cydia erotellaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-04-15
Madison Co.
Comment: An adult emerged from a large globular pitch-nodule on Virginia Pine that was that of Retinia virginiana. This pupal skin projected from the pitch nodule. 		Cydia erotellaRecorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-04-13
Orange Co.
Comment:
Cydia erotellaRecorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn on 2023-03-27
New Hanover Co.
Comment: 		Cydia erotellaRecorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn on 2023-03-27
New Hanover Co.
Comment:
Cydia erotellaRecorded by: John Petranka on 2022-06-24
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Cydia erotellaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-06-04
Madison Co.
Comment:
Cydia erotellaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-06-04
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Cydia erotellaRecorded by: Kyle Kittelberger on 2020-05-03
Wake Co.
Comment: