Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Tortricidae Members:	Sparganothis Members:	165 NC Records

Sparganothis sulfureana (Clemens, 1860) - Sparganothis Fruitworm Moth

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Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Tortricoidea

Family:
Tortricidae

Subfamily:
Tortricinae

Tribe:
Sparganothini

P3 Number:
51a0390

MONA Number:
3695.00

Identification

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

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

Technical Description, Adults: Powell and Brown (2012)

Technical Description, Immature Stages: MacKay (1959)

Adult Markings: This wide-ranging species shows remarkable variation in size and forewing patterning at different spatial scales, including within North Carolina (Powell and Brown, 2012). The following description is based primarily on that of Powell and Brown (2012). The head, palps, and thorax are yellowish with varying levels of rusty red. The forewing ground color is pale to bright yellow and has highly variable degrees of orange-brown to reddish-orange reticulations throughout. Some individuals lack reticulations altogether, while other are boldly reticulate. Two oblique fasciae are present that begin at a squarish blotch near the middle of the dorsal margin and project in opposite directions. One extends to the costa at about one-third the wing length from the base, while the second projects rearward either to the subapical region of the costa or the subapical region of the termen. Together they produce a somewhat V-shaped pattern (or X-shaped when a resting individual is viewed from above). The degree of development of the two fasciae is highly variable, with some individuals having well-developed fasciae and others having them reduced to isolated spots. In addition to the V-pattern described above, some individuals have an orange-brown to reddish-orange subapical costal patch. Most individuals also have a concolorous, narrow, irregular band along the termen. The hindwing varies from immaculate white to gray. The strongly reticulated forms of Sparganothis sulfureana resemble Cenopis reticulatana, but the later has longer palps and the median brown band and subtornal patches are infused with lighter orangish spots.

Wingspan: 13.5-18 mm for males and 15-20 mm for females (chapman and Lienk, 1971).

Forewing Length: 6.0–9.0 mm for males and 7.0–11.0 mm for females (Powell and Brown, 2012).

Adult Structural Features: Powell and Brown (2012) and Gilligan and Epstein (2014; TortAI) have illustrations and descriptions of the male and female genitalia.

Structural photos

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

Immatures and Development: Much of the life history information for the larvae is based on studies of commercial crops. Beckwith (1938) and de Lange and Rodriguez-Saona (2015) describe the life cycle when feeding on cranberries in New Jersey where there are two broods per year and the larvae feed on foliage and developing cranberries. The early-instar larvae overwinter in ground debris then feed on new leaf growth and flower buds and blossoms in the spring. They web together leaves with silk, and later entire upright shoots, and feed and pupate within these shelters. The adults first appear in late June and early July and the females lay masses of 20–50 eggs that hatch within 9–12 days. The hatchlings and later instars feed on foliage and also the developing fruits for 30–40 days. The larvae initially feed on the outside of berries, then enter the fruits and consume the developing seeds and tissue. Pupation occurs in the damaged fruits. The pupal period lasts 7–12 days, and the second-generation adults appear in mid-August and September. Females lay eggs and the early-instar larvae go into diapause by mid- to late September.

Late instar larvae are around 13-17 mm long. The abdomen is yellowish to grayish green with lighter, conspicuous pinacula. The head is yellowish to reddish brown with antennae that are white basally and black distally. The prothoracic shield is concolorous with the abdomen and is edged laterally with black, and an anal comb is present with 6-9 teeth (Gilligan and Epstein, 2014; TortAI).

Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Sparganothis sulfureana is found across much of southern Canada, in most of the US, and spottily farther south in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Belize (Powell and Brown, 2012). It occurs in Canada from British Columbia eastward to Prince Edward Island, and in most of the conterminous US from Maine southward to southern Florida and westward to Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and Washington. This species occurs statewide in North Carolina.

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: Local populations typically produce two or three broods per year depending the latitude and local climatic conditions. The adults have been observed year-round in Florida, Louisiana, and other southern locales, and mostly from April through October in the northern part of the range. Most populations in North Carolina appear to have two or three broods per year, with three most common in the Coastal Plain.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Local populations occur in a variety of habitats that range from conifer or hardwood dominated communities, to woodland borders and open fields. In North Carolina, populations have been found in a diversity of habitats that include barrier islands, Sandhill and coastal pinelands, bottomland and mesic hardwood forests, and residential neighborhoods.

Larval Host Plants: This species is highly polyphagous and can become a significant pest on farms that grow celery, apples, blueberries, cranberries and other crops (Beckwith, 1938; Chapman and Lienk, 1971; Powell and Brown, 2012). The larvae also feed on a wide variety of native plants, including conifers, hardwoods, and herbaceous species (Raizenne, 1952; MacKay, 1962; Godfrey et al., 1987; Heppner, 2007; Robinson et al., 2010; Powell and Brown, 2012; Gilligan and Epstein, 2014; TortAI). Some of the reported hosts include Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea), Common Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia), Greater Burdock (Arctium lappa), Groundsel-tree (Baccharis halimifolia), Bastard Toadflax (Comandra umbellata), hawthorns (Crataegus), Annual Fleabane (Erigeron annuus), Common Horseweed (E. canadensis), Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos), Southeastern Sneezeweed (Helenium pinnatifidum), sunflowers (Helianthus), pennyworts (Hydrocotyle), Common St. John's-wort (Hypericum perforatum), larches (Larix), lilies (Lilium), Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), penstemons (Penstemon), several species of northern pines (Pinus sp.), Choke Cherry (Prunus virginiana), locust (Robinia), New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae), willows (Salix), Northern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis), clovers (Trifolium), and grapes (Vitis). - View

Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.

Wikipedia

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S5

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

Comments: This species is common throughout most of the state and appears to be secure.

Photo Gallery for Sparganothis sulfureana - Sparganothis Fruitworm Moth

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

	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-10-02 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-10-02 Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-09-30 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2025-09-19 Onslow Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Larry Chen, Sarah Toner on 2025-09-06 Beaufort Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Marilyn Westphal and Becky Elkin. on 2025-08-17 Henderson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Merrill Lynch on 2025-08-14 Watauga Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-25 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Sarah Toner on 2025-07-22 Tyrrell Co. Comment: iNat record		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rob Van Epps, Kevin Metcalf on 2025-07-20 Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Patrick Coin on 2025-06-29 Moore Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George on 2025-06-29 Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jim Petranka on 2025-06-29 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-06-20 Moore Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-19 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Lior S. Carlson, Dean Furbish on 2025-06-18 Alamance Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: B. Bockhahn on 2025-06-03 Currituck Co. Comment:		Recorded by: B. Bockhahn on 2025-06-03 Currituck Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-31 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-05-24 Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Larry Chen, Sarah Toner on 2025-05-07 Dare Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2025-05-01 Pender Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka and Sally Gewalt on 2025-04-29 Warren Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-18 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2024-11-01 Pender Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2024-11-01 Pender Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-10-26 Carteret Co. Comment:		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-10-06 Carteret Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-09-28 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-25 Wilson Co. Comment: