Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Tortricidae Members:	Cenopis Members:	18 NC Records

Cenopis saracana Kearfott, 1907 - No Common Name

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Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Tortricoidea

Family:
Tortricidae

Subfamily:
Tortricinae

Tribe:
Sparganothini

P3 Number:
51a0426

MONA Number:
3724.00

Comments: The genus Cenopis has 19 described species. Seventeen of these are restricted to North America, and all 17 occur in the eastern United States (Brown and Sullivan, 2018). Males of Cenopis are easily distinguished from those of Sparganothis by the presence of complex scaling on the frons of the head that forms an unusual “hood” of scales. The males also have a deeply invaginated or folded anal area of the hindwing that bears a distinctive hair pencil.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions:

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

Technical Description, Adults: Kearfott (1907); Powell and Brown (2012)

Adult Markings: The following description is based mostly on that of Powell and Brown (2012). The head, palps, and thorax are pale yellowish-tan to tan, while the forewing ground color is pale yellowish-tan with varying numbers of irregular, faint, dark transverse striae. Raised light-tipped scales are also sometimes evident that produce a faint frosted or striated appearance. Two irregular brown patches are present on the costa. The first is at about one-third, and the second at about two-thirds the distance from the base to the apex. The distal patch is usually larger and sometimes has a jagged linear extension that projects inward. The other conspicuous mark is a large squarish brown patch on the inner margin at about two-thirds the distance from the base to the tornus. It is frequently joined with the more distal costal patch to form a broad, irregular median fascia. The fringe is concolorous with the ground, and the hindwing is yellowish-brown to brown with a slightly paler fringe.

Forewing Length: 7.0–8.5 mm for males and 9.0–11.0 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 are leaf rollers and are univoltine in North Carolina, but details of the larval life history are undocumented. We have records of larvae or pupae in rolled leaves in late April and early May, and adults in June. Pupation occurs in the leaf roll, and the adults likely emerge within two weeks or so.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Cenopis saracana is found from New York southward to northern Florida and westward to eastern Texas, Arkansas, Missouri. and Kentucky. As of 2023, we have scattered records from all three physiographic provinces.

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
Immature 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 March through October in different areas of the range, with peak seasonal activity typically from May through August depending on the location. Local populations in North Carolina are univoltine. As of 2023, our records extend from early June through late July.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: The larvae are associated with hardwood forests, and forest edge and forest gap habitats.

Larval Host Plants: The larval hosts are poorly documented, but include American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), White Oak (Quercus alba), Southern Red Oak (Q. falcata or Q. pagoda) and Sassafras (Sassafras albidum; Kearfott, 1907; Brown et al., 2008; Marquis et al., 2019). As of 2023, we have one record of a larvae feeding on American Beautyberry and another on either Southern Red Oak or possibly Q. pagoda (identification not certain). - View

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for Forest-Field Ecotones and Groves

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S2S4

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

Comments: This species appears to be uncommon in North Carolina, with only eight site records as of 2023. Additional information is needed on its host use, distribution, and local abundance before we can fully assess its conservation status.

Photo Gallery for Cenopis saracana - None

Photos: 20

	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2025-06-22 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2025-06-22 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2025-06-22 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-06-21 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2021-06-16 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2021-06-10 Durham Co. Comment: Found the folded leaf on Callicarpa americana on 6/10. Pupa was inside.rnMoth emerged 6/15.
	Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2021-06-10 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2021-06-10 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-07-11 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-07-01 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-06-21 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-06-21 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-06-21 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-07-10 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-06-22 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-06-13 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-06-09 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-06-01 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-06-01 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2016-06-16 Cabarrus Co. Comment: