Moths of North Carolina
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Sparganothis Members:
6 NC Records

Sparganothis tristriata Kearfott, 1907 - Three-streaked Sparganothis Moth

Sparganothis tristriataSparganothis tristriataSparganothis tristriata
Taxonomy
Superfamily: Tortricoidea Family: TortricidaeSubfamily: TortricinaeTribe: SparganothiniP3 Number: 51a0394 MONA Number: 3699.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Powell and Brown (2012)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The following description is based primarily on that of Powell and Brown (2012). The head and palps are yellowish to yellowish-brown, while the thorax is yellowish with a lateral band of reddish-brown along each side. The forewing ground color is yellow to pale yellow orange, and in some specimens is lightly reticulated with orange. The ground is overlain by three conspicuous longitudinal reddish-brown streaks: one along the costa, one through the middle of the discal cell near the middle of the wing, and one along the dorsal margin. All three streaks extend to or coalesce together before the termen. The entire forewing has a faint irregular pattern of iridescence, and in fresh specimens there are scattered short raised scales. Much of the surface also has a pearly iridescence. The fringe is concolorous with the ground color, and the hindwing is pale grayish in both sexes. The males lack a costal fold. Sparganothis bistriata is similar, but has only two long longitudinal streaks that terminate before reaching the apical fourth of the wing.
Forewing Length: 8.0–9.2 mm for males and 8.0–10.9 mm for females (Powell and Brown, 2012)
Adult Structural Features: Powell and Brown (2012) provide detailed descriptions and illustrations of the male and female genitalia.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Sparganothis tristriata occurs at scattered locales in southern Canada from Alberta eastward to New Brunswick, and in the US from Maine southward to Florida and westward to Mississippi, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. This species is most common from the New England states westward through the Great Lakes region, with more scattered populations present in the remainder of the range. As of 2023, we have only two site records for North Carolina, with one from a lower-elevation site in the Blue Ridge and the second from Lake Gaston in the Piedmont.
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 March through December in different areas of the rnge, with the great majority flying from June through September. As of 2023, our records extend from late August through September.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Larval Host Plants: The larvae specialize on conifers, particularly pines, but also regularly use spruces and firs. On rare occasions they may feed incidentally on other taxa such as hardwoods (MacKay, 1962; Prentice, 1966; Maier et al., 2004; Robinson et al., 2010; Powell and Brown, 2012). Species that appear to be primary hosts include Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea), White Spruce (Picea glauca), Black Spruce (Picea mariana), Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana), Red Pine (P. resinosa), Pitch Pine (P. rigida), Scotch Pine (P. sylvestris) and Eastern White Pine (P. strobus). Other species that are used incidentally include serviceberries (Amelanchier), Common Juniper (Juniperus communis), Tamarack (Larix laricina), Bigtooth Aspen (Populus grandidentata), Quaking Aspen (P. tremuloides), Choke Cherry (Prunus virginiana) and Northern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis). A site in Madison Co. where this species has been repeatedly collected has Pitch Pine, Eastern White Pine, and Virginia Pine on site, but the host has not been confirmed. - View
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks:
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Sparganothis tristriata - Three-streaked Sparganothis Moth

Photos: 9

Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-09-12
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-09-21
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-09-21
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-09-12
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2018-09-06
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2018-09-02
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2018-09-02
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Paul Scharf on 2015-08-25
Warren Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Paul Scharf on 2015-08-25
Warren Co.
Comment: