Moths of North Carolina

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Tinea apicimaculella Chambers, 1875 - Dark-collared Tinea

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Tineoidea

Family:
Tineidae

Subfamily:
Tineinae

Tribe:
[Tineini]

P3 Number:
300144

MONA Number:
392.00

Comments: Tinea is a genus of small moths that are found worldwide, with 20 currently recognized species in North America.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Beadle and Leckie (2012); Leckie and Beadle (2018)

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

Adult Markings: The following is based in part on the descriptions in Dietz (1905) and Forbes (1923). The head and dorsal tuft are straw yellow, and the antenna brown with faint darker annulations. The outer surface of the labial palp is brown. The inner surface and the apex are yellow, except for the second joint which is strongly roughened beneath with dark brown scales. The thorax is dark purple brown. The ground color of the forewing is dull yellow and dusted with fuscous. The dusting in the costal half consists of a well-marked dark stripe that extends from the base to near the apex. On many specimens it tends to expand or bend towards the costa just before the apex. There is a large brown spot at one-half the wing length between the dark longitudinal streak and the inner margin, and a second spot at the end of the discal cell that is sometimes masked by the dark streak. Relatively heavy dusting is also often evident along the costal margin. At the end of the wing there is a row of large dark spots at the base of the fringe that extend from just anterior to the costa, then around the termen before ending near the tornus. The fringe is straw yellow. The hindwing is uniformly lighter colored with a well-developed fringe. All segments of the legs are brown with white tips, and the hind leg is lighter with long spurs.

Homostinea curviliniella is similar but lacks both the large brown spot at one-half, and the row of large spots around the wing tip. Eccritothrix guenterella is also similar, but there are two dark basal spots instead of one, there is no dark longitudinal stripe through the forewing, and there are no dark spots along the apical margin.

Wingspan: 11.0-14.5 mm (Dietz, 1905).

Structural photos

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

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Tinea apicimaculella is wide-ranging. The distribution is centered in eastern North America, but adults have been recorded in Colorado, southern California, Mexico and South America. In eastern North America, the range includes extreme southern Canada and the New England states southward to southern Florida, then westward to southern Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Illinois and Minnesota. Populations occur statewide in North Carolina, from coastal areas to the higher elevations in the mountains.

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: Adults have been observed during every month of the year in areas outside of North Carolina. As of 2020, we have records from February through November. Coastal and Piedmont populations appear to be multivoltine, but are single-brooded in the mountains.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Populations are frequently found in residential neighborhoods, but we have a few records from more natural settings such as state parks.

Larval Host Plants: The hosts are unknown, but the larvae are probably detritivores given that larvae of other species often feed on detritus associated with bird nests, owls pellets, ant nests, and mammal scat and carcasses (Powell and Opler, 2009). - View

Observation Methods: The adults regularly appear at UV-lights.

Wikipedia

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S4S5]

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

Comments: This species is widespread and seems to thrive in urban settings, suggesting that it does not need protection.

Photo Gallery for Tinea apicimaculella - Dark-collared Tinea

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

	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Brian Bockhahn, Jim Petranka, John Petranka, Becky Elkin on 2025-05-09 Cumberland Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Jim Petranka, John Petranka, Becky Elkin on 2025-05-09 Cumberland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson on 2025-04-05 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson on 2025-04-05 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2025-03-28 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-25 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-25 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-10-09 Bladen Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George on 2024-09-07 Alamance Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-07-11 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-07-11 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Patrick Coin on 2024-06-22 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2023-10-12 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2023-10-10 Warren Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2023-10-10 Warren Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2023-09-23 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-09-19 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-09-19 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-09-10 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-12 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-17 New Hanover Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2023-05-21 New Hanover Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2023-04-21 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2023-04-13 Carteret Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George on 2023-04-13 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2023-04-05 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2023-04-03 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2023-03-25 Carteret Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Richard Teper on 2022-10-07 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2022-10-06 Carteret Co. Comment: