Moths of North Carolina
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28 NC Records

Acleris nigrolinea (Robinson, 1869) - Black-lined Acleris

Acleris nigrolineaAcleris nigrolineaAcleris nigrolineaAcleris nigrolinea
Taxonomy
Superfamily: Tortricoidea Family: TortricidaeSubfamily: TortricinaeTribe: TortriciniP3 Number: 51a0056 MONA Number: 3556.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The following is based in part on descriptions by Robinson (1869) and Forbes (1923). The palps, head, thorax and forewings are white and dusted irregularly with gray to produce an overall ashen gray appearance. In North Carolina, the thorax often has a somewhat lighter spot at the posterior end that is margined with a few darker scales on the anterior margin. The forewing often has a very faint, thin, longitudinal, black line from the wing base to about one-fourth the wing length, but it is often missing. A similar and better developed thin, longitudinal, black line extends through the middle of the wing from just before one-half the wing length to as far as the subterminal region before the termen. Raised, light grayish scale tufts are present throughout the forewing, with the most prominent forming a slightly irregular, transverse ridge at one-half the wing length. In worn specimens, this ridge of scales is often lost and leaves a transverse crevice. The hindwing is shining light fuscous, and the fringe of both wings is concolorous with the general forewing or hindwing color.
Adult Structural Features: McDunnough (1934) and Obraztsov (1963) have descriptions and illustrations of the genitalia.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The larvae are known to feed on members of the Betulaceae and Salicaceae, but detailed studies of the larval life history have not been conducted.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Acleris nigrolinea occurs in both western and eastern North America, with populations in the West documented from central and northern California, Colorado, Alaska, the Yukon Territory, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. The eastern group occurs in southern Canada from Manitoba eastward to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and in the U.S. from northeastern North Dakota and Minnesota eastward across the Great Lakes region to the New England states, then southward through the Appalachian region to eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. As of 2024, our records are restricted to the central and southern Blue Ridge, and mostly at lower to middle elevations.
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 December in different areas of the range, with seasonal peaks following the spring warm-up and again in late-summer and early fall. As of 2024, our records extend from late-February through late-October. Populations in North Carolina appear to be bivoltine, with what are presumed to be overwintering adults first appearing in late-February and early-March. This is followed by an emergence of adults in July and August that are presumably from the first brood, then a second emergence in October from the second brood.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Our records are mostly from mesic hardwood forests or forest edge habitats, including semi wooded residential neighborhoods.
Larval Host Plants: The primary hosts appear to be members of the Betulaceae and Salicaceae (Prentice, 1966; Robinson et al., 2010). The reported hosts include Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis), Paper Birch (B. papyrifera), Balsam Poplar (P. balsamifera), Quaking Aspen (P. tremuloides), Black Cottonwood (P. trichocarpa) and willows (Salix). There is one record of a specimen using Choke Cherry (Prunus virginiana) (Prentice, 1966) that needs further verification. - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S2S3]
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 reach its southern range limit in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, where scattered populations have been found in the region.

 Photo Gallery for Acleris nigrolinea - Black-lined Acleris

Photos: 15

Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2024-09-23
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2024-04-02
Transylvania Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: B. Bockhahn on 2024-03-04
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2024-02-27
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Vin Stanton on 2022-03-30
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-03-11
Buncombe Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-03-02
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-10-21
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-10-21
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-10-21
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: tom ward on 2021-10-11
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2019-10-19
Graham Co.
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Recorded by: Vin Stanton on 2019-08-16
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2019-07-25
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2019-07-25
Madison Co.
Comment: