Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFTortricidae Members: Sparganothis Members: 24 NC Records

Sparganothis distincta (Walsingham, 1884) - Distinct Sparganothis

Sparganothis distinctaSparganothis distinctaSparganothis distinctaSparganothis distincta
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Tortricoidea		 Family:
Tortricidae		Subfamily:
Tortricinae		Tribe:
Sparganothini		P3 Number:
51a0412		 MONA Number:
3704.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Powell and Brown (2012)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The adults are largely unmarked except for dark rusty brown scales that occur on the head, palps, anterior margin of the thorax, and the extreme base of the costa (Powell and Brown, 2012). The dark scales on the thorax and adjoining area of the costal base contrast with the lighter ground color in an otherwise unmarked forewing. The forewing varies from pale-rusty or orangish-brown and has light refractive scales that produce a frosted or shiny whitish reticulated pattern. The fringe is concolorous with the ground color, and the hindwing varies from pale grayish brown or pale orangish brown, with a slightly lighter fringe.
Forewing Length: 7.0–10.0 mm for males and 9.5–10.5 mm for females (Powell and Brown, 2012).
Adult Structural Features: Powell and Brown (2012) have illustrations and detailed descriptions of the male and female genitalia.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The larvae tie the leaves of goldenrods and perhaps other hosts together (Powell and Brown, 2012), but details of the larval life history have not been reported.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Sparganothis distincta is found in the eastern US, in portions of southeastern Canada (New Brunswick; Nova Scotia; Prince Edward Island), and as scattered populations as far west as Colorado, Arizona, and Utah. In the eastern US the range extends from Maine to southern Florida, and westward to western Texas, central Oklahoma, eastern Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois. As of 2023, we have records from all three physiographic regions, with most from the Coastal Plain.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Sparganothis distinctaAlamance 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%20Hanover 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.
Flight Comments: The adults have been documented essentially year-round in Florida and primarily from March through September elsewhere. As of 2023, our records extend from mid-April through late-September, with one early seasonal record from mid-February.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: This species occurs in a variety of habitats that include maritime communities, coastal pine forests, mesic inland hardwoods, forest borders, fields, and residential neighborhoods.
Larval Host Plants: The hosts are poorly documented, with Northern Seaside Goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens) and perhaps other goldenrods being the only reported hosts (Heppner, 2007; Meyrick, 1938; Powell and Brown, 2012). - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S3-S4]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: Sparganothis distincta is widely distributed in the state and shows no evidence of widespread declines.

 Photo Gallery for Sparganothis distincta - Distinct Sparganothis

Photos: 15
Sparganothis distinctaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-05-09
Cumberland Co.
Comment: 		Sparganothis distinctaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2024-07-19
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Sparganothis distinctaRecorded by: John Petranka on 2022-07-20
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Sparganothis distinctaRecorded by: Darryl Willis on 2022-06-13
Cabarrus Co.
Comment:
Sparganothis distinctaRecorded by: Vin Stanton on 2022-06-09
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Sparganothis distinctaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2022-05-14
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Sparganothis distinctaRecorded by: Mark Shields on 2021-07-03
Onslow Co.
Comment: 		Sparganothis distinctaRecorded by: Mark Shields on 2021-05-13
Onslow Co.
Comment:
Sparganothis distinctaRecorded by: Mark Shields on 2020-09-22
Onslow Co.
Comment: 		Sparganothis distinctaRecorded by: Mark Shields on 2020-06-19
Onslow Co.
Comment:
Sparganothis distinctaRecorded by: Mark Shields on 2019-08-03
Onslow Co.
Comment: 		Sparganothis distinctaRecorded by: Julie Tuttle on 2018-07-23
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Sparganothis distinctaRecorded by: Darryl Willis on 2016-09-10
Cabarrus Co.
Comment: 		Sparganothis distinctaRecorded by: T. DeSantis on 2010-07-07
Camden Co.
Comment:
Sparganothis distinctaRecorded by: Newman, Randy on 2009-05-10
Carteret Co.
Comment: