Moths of North Carolina
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9 NC Records

Archips purpurana (Clemens, 1865) - Omnivorous Leafroller Moth

Archips purpuranaArchips purpurana
Taxonomy
Superfamily: Tortricoidea Family: TortricidaeSubfamily: TortricinaeTribe: ArchipiniP3 Number: 51a0338 MONA Number: 3658.00
Comments: Archips is a large genus with species occurring worldwide. Most are found in Holarctic and temperate regions and they are well-represented in the Old World. North America has 26 species, including a few that are introduced.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Freeman (1958)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: This species is distinctive in having a strongly recurved costa on the apical half and a similar concavity on the terminal margin near the apex, which together give the apex a lobed appearance. The following description is mostly based on that of Freeman (1958). The head, palps, antennae, and thorax vary from light to dark brown, and the head has two scale tufts that are pitched to form a roof-like structure. The ground of the forewing is concolorous with the head and thorax, and has fine, darker-brown reticulations throughout. The ground is overlain with a dark median band that slants from just before the mid-costal region to the subtornal region. The band is usually interrupted near the middle and can vary from faint to well-expressed. In some individuals it may be entirely missing. The only other dark mark is a semi-oval subcostal patch in the subapical concavity that extends only a short distance inward. The fringe is light brown and concolorous with the apical region. The hindwing has a light fringe and is smoky in the posterior basal half of the anal region, and white anteriorly and apically. The males lack a costal fold, while females have a more pronounced, recurved costa.
Wingspan: 23-30 mm (Forbes, 1923).
Forewing Length: 8.5–11 mm for males and 10.5–12.5 mm for females (Chapman and Lienk, 1971; Gilligan and Epstein, TortAI).
Adult Structural Features: Gilligan and Epstein (TortAI) and Freeman (1958) has descriptions and illustrations of the male and female genitalia.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The larvae are leafrollers and use a wide variety of host plants. Judd (1954) reported that larvae that used mayapples formed shelters on the leaves by tying parts of the leaves with silk. The commonest type of shelter was made by rolling a lobe of a leaf inward along its length to form a tight cylindrical tube in which the larva hid. Pupation occurred within the leaf rolls and the adults emerged within 10-14 days. Henne et al. (2002) observed larvae on Purple Loosestrife that created individual shelters by tying the terminal leaves together. The full-grown larvae have light bluish-green bodies with three darker green longitudinal stripes. The head is yellowish with dark spots on the sides, while the prothoracic shield is greenish and has a black spot where each of the green stripes meet the shield. The species overwinters as a third instar larva.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Archips purpurana occurs across much of southern Canada from British Columbia eastward to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. The primary range in the US is from Maine westward through the Great Lakes region to Minnesota and eastern North Dakota, and southward to a line extending from Iowa and Missouri eastward to southern Indiana, southern Ohio, and the Washington, DC area. Populations also occur southward through the Appalachians to North Carolina and Tennessee. Scattered records have been found outside of the primary range in northern Florida, western Nebraska, Texas and Montana. As of 2023, all of our records are from the Blue Ridge or lower foothills.
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 documented from May through September in different areas of the range, with a seasonal peak typically from June through September. Populations in North Carolina and in most other areas are univoltine. As of 2023, our records are from early July through early August.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Local populations can be found in both deciduous forests and in open habitats such as old fields, prairies, and roadways.
Larval Host Plants: The larvae are highly polyphagous and have been reported to feed on a variety of both herbaceous and woody vegetation (Forbes, 1923; Freeman, 1958; Schaffner, 1959; MacKay, 1962; Prentice, 1966; Chapman and Lienk, 1971; Heppner, 2007; Robinson et al., 2010). The reported taxa include Gray Birch (Betula populifolia), Annual Fleabane (Erigeron annuus), strawberries (Fragaria), ashes (Fraxinus), Geranium, Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), False Solomon's-seal (Maianthemum racemosum), apples (Malus domestica), Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum), Fire Cherry (Prunus pensylvanica), Choke Cherry (P. virginiana), Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa), sumac (Rhus), gooseberries (Ribes), brambles (Rubus), willows (Salix), Sassafras, Sedum, goldenrods (Solidago), Spiraea, American Basswood (Tilia americana), Perfoliate Horse-gentian (Triosteum perfoliatum), Vaccinium, Viburnum, and Viola. - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S2-S4]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: This species in uncommon within the state. Additional information is needed on its distribution and abundance before we can assess its conservation status.

 Photo Gallery for Archips purpurana - Omnivorous Leafroller Moth

Photos: 3

Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Becky Watkins on 2023-07-30
Swain Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Becky Watkins on 2023-07-29
Swain Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Owen and Pat McConnell on 2018-07-02
Graham Co.
Comment: