Moths of North Carolina

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Acleris semipurpurana (Kearfott, 1905) - Oak Leaftier Moth

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Tortricoidea

Family:
Tortricidae

Subfamily:
Tortricinae

Tribe:
Tortricini

P3 Number:
51a0003

MONA Number:
3503.00

Other Common Name:
Oak Leafshredder

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984; as Croesia semipurpurana); Beadle and Leckie (2012)

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

Adult Markings: Acleris semipurpurana has several color forms, with most involving the variable expression of a purplish-brown central region on a lemony-yellow to yellowish-white ground color. The palps, head and thorax vary from whitish to lemon-yellow, and are often lighter than the ground color of the forewings. The forewing ground is most commonly various shades of lemon-yellow, with the apical third often having suffusions of white. The yellowish ground color typically fills most of the basal fifth of the wing, the central portion of the costa where it is often represented as a rectangular patch, and the subterminal area. The remainder of the wing is filled with purplish-brown coloration that is variably expressed. It can vary from a solid, prominent patch that fills the entire area, to isolated, smaller patches or bands that are separated by the ground color. A line of raised, dark scale patches that occur in the middle of the wing and on the apical fifth are often evident in specimens where the purplish-brown coloration is poorly expressed. In addition to the typical forms described above, specimens are occasionally seen that are entirely yellow to yellowish-white, with the usual markings showing as a different shade of yellow or white, or merely as wide reticulations (Forbes, 1923). Acleris semipurpurana might be confused with A. curvalana, but the latter has a raised yellow discal spot and brown coloration along the basal third of the costa that is not present on A. semipurpurana.

Structural photos

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

Immatures and Development: Acleris semipurpurana primarily feeds on oaks and can sometimes reach sufficiently high densities to cause significant defoliation of members of the red oak group (Nichols, 1968). Outbreaks mostly have been documented in the northeastern and east-central parts of the range, including in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. The eggs overwinter on oak branches and hatch in the spring with the arrival of warmer weather. The young larvae either burrow into expanding buds or eat very young, developing leaves, while the older larvae tie sections of leaves together and feed within the leaf folds or ties (Broomall, 1979). After they complete feeding, the mature larvae drop to the ground on silk threads and pupate in the soil litter. The adults emerged in 1-2 weeks (typically around May), and the mated females lay their eggs individually on the bark of second-year oak branches. The eggs remain dormant until the following spring, so there is only one generation per year. The full-grown larvae are dirty white to light green with a pale head capsule and black bars on the sides of the head (Broomall, 1979).

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Acleris semipurpurana is found throughout the eastern U.S. and in adjoining areas of southern Canada from Ontario eastward to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. In the U.S. the range extends from Maine southward to southern Florida, and westward to central Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, eastern Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and northeastern North Dakota. Populations have also been found in Washington State that may reflect introductions. This species occurs statewide in North Carolina, but is relatively uncommon in the Blue Ridge and northern 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: The adults have been observed from February through October in different areas of the range, with individuals in the southernmost part of the range flying from February through May, and those in the northernmost areas from June through October. Populations in North Carolina are univoltine. As of 2024, our records range from late-April through early-July.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: The majority of our records come from semi-wooded residential areas, where either oaks or cultivated plants such as roses and cherries could be used. The records from natural habitats come primarily from hardwood forests with oaks.

Larval Host Plants: Oaks appear to be the primary hosts, but other hosts are occasionally used (Forbes, 1923; Meyrick, 1938; Schaffner, 1959; Prentice, 1966; Nichols, 1968; Ferguson, 1975; Covell, 1984; Godfrey et al., 1987; Wagner et al., 1995a; Brown et al., 2008; Gilligan and Epstein, 2014; Marquis et al., 2019). The reported hosts include White Oak (Quercus alba), Scarlet Oak (Q. coccinea), Scrub Oak (Q. ilicifolia), Pin Oak (Q. palustris), Northern Red Oak (Q. rubra) and Black Oak (Q. velutina). Other reported hosts that appear to be used much less frequently include cherries (Prunus), roses (Rosa) and grapes (Vitis). - View

Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights and the larvae can be found in lead folds and ties on oaks.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Oak-Hickory Forests

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S3S4

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

Comments: This is a fairly common species in oak forests and appears to be relatively secure within the state.

Photo Gallery for Acleris semipurpurana - Oak Leaftier Moth

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

	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-16 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-03 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-02 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-02 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2025-05-01 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-24 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-24 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-24 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-07-14 Watauga Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-05-26 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-05-09 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2024-05-02 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-04-28 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-04-27 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2023-05-23 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2023-05-23 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 on 2023-05-12 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2023-04-27 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-06-12 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-06-07 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-06-07 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2022-05-17 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2022-05-16 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-05-16 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2022-05-05 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2022-05-03 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2021-05-27 Onslow Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2021-05-21 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2021-05-18 Guilford Co. Comment: