Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFTortricidae Members: Argyrotaenia Members: 73 NC Records

Argyrotaenia mariana (Fernald, 1882) - Gray-banded Leafroller Moth

Argyrotaenia marianaArgyrotaenia marianaArgyrotaenia marianaArgyrotaenia mariana
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Tortricoidea		 Family:
Tortricidae		Subfamily:
Tortricinae		Tribe:
Archipini		P3 Number:
51a0284		 MONA Number:
3625.00
Comments: The genus Argyrotaenia contains approximately 100 described species, with most occurring in Nearctic and Neotropical regions. Thirty-six species are currently recognized in North America.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Immature Stages: Gilligan and Epstein (2014)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The dorsum of the head and thorax are whitish except for dark scale tufts at the posterior end of the thorax. The color of the scale tufts tend to match a dark region near the dorsal margin of the wing base to produce a 'reverse parentheses' pattern when a resting individual is viewed from above. The ground color of the forewing is whitish, but often with a heavy dirty brown wash that tends to be concentrated on the basal half. The most prominent mark is a wide, dark-brown to black band that begins on the costa near the middle and curves obliquely rearward. It terminates near the mid-point of the wing where it adjoins a lighter, narrower, and more poorly defined dirty brown band that continues to the dorsal margin (sometimes missing or reduced on specimens). A triangular dark-brown to black costal patch occurs immediately posterior to the median band, and a small costal dot often follows the costal patch. The dorsal margin has a series of fine dark dots that often extend beyond the termen to the apex, while a similar series is often evident along the costa between the wing base and the median band. The hindwing is gray and the males lack a forewing costal fold (Gilligan and Epstein, 2014).
Forewing Length: 7.0-10.0 mm (Gilligan and Epstein, 2014).
Genitalia and other structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The females lay masses of 20-120 eggs on the upper surface of leaves and smooth bark, and the first instar larvae disperse via silken threads or crawling to different parts of the plant or to different host plants (Chapman and Lienk, 1971; Gilligan and Epstein, 2014). The early instars skeletonize the underside of leaves along the midrib beneath webbing and gradually expand the feeding area. The last two instars either roll or web leaves, or web the leaves to nearby fruits such as apples. Last instar larvae are approximately 17-23 mm in length and are largely unmarked (Chapman and Lienk, 1971). The abdomen is light green, while the head and prothoracic shield are yellowish green. The anal shield may be lightly mottled with dark green spots, which is useful in separating A. mariana from other Argyrotaenia species (Gilligan and Epstein, 2014). The larval period can last 3-4 months in New York, with pupation occurring in September through early October. Overwintering occurs in the pupal stage (Frost, 1927; Chapman and Lienk, 1971).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Argyrotaenia mariana is primarily found in eastern North America, with a few occurrences from western Canada to as far west as the Yukon Territory. The range in the East extends from Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and the New England states westward through southern Canada to the Great Lakes region and Minnesota. The range extends from the northern states southward primarily through the southern Appalachian region before ending in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. As 2022, our records for North Carolina are all from the Blue Ridge.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Argyrotaenia marianaAlamance 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 Hanover 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.