Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFTineidae Members: Monopis Members: 52 NC Records

Monopis crocicapitella (Clemens, 1859) - Bird Nest Moth

Monopis crocicapitellaMonopis crocicapitellaMonopis crocicapitella
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Tineoidea		 Family:
Tineidae		Subfamily:
Tineinae		Tribe:
[Tineini]		P3 Number:
300168		 MONA Number:
415.00		 Other Common Names:
Saffron-headed Monopis, Pale-backed Clothes Moth
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Clemens, 1859 Technical Description, Immature Stages: Gerard, 1995                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The following description is based in part on that of Clemens (1859) and Forbes (1923). The head, head tuft and face are saffron yellow to pale yellow. The labial palp is yellowish, but dark brown externally. The dark fuscous antenna is long and extends to near the beginning of the terminal fringe. The thorax is saffron yellow to yellowish above and dark fuscous on the sides. The ground color of the forewing is dark fuscous and has scattered yellow scales that are more prevalent and better organized along the costa. An irregular, somewhat sinuous, narrow yellow streak occurs on the inner margin to the wing tip. A semi-hyaline pale discal spot is present at about one-half the wing length or slightly beyond. The hindwing is pale brownish gray, and the legs are brown with yellow flecks and yellow tips near the joints. Tinea mandarinella is very similar, but has a sub-apical costal blotch and lacks the pale, semi-hyaline discal spot at one-half.
Wingspan: 9-17.5 mm (Forbes, 1923)
Adult Structural Features: Gerard (1995) and Turbanova et al. (2019) have illustrations of the male and female genitalia.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: All except the first-instar larvae live in silk cases that have fragments of wool, frass, shed head capsules, or other debris incorporated on the outside (Gerard, 1995). The case is dorsolaterally flattened and open at both ends. The larvae have a tan head capsule and a glossy, creamy white body. The prothoracic shield has two triangular pale amber plates on the dorsal surface. The mature larvae are about 10 mm long and live in cases that are 9- 12 mm long and 2.5-3.5 mm wide. Pupation occurs within the case. Gerard (1995) documented five instars and found that the first instar requires relatively high humidity for survival.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: This species attacks stored grain, potatoes, and wool based products and has been transported to many areas of the world. It is most prevalent in temperate regions, including North America, Europe, Russia, Japan, southeastern Australia, and New Zealand. Monopis crocicapitella was originally described from eastern North America, and is presumed to be native. However, its original range is poorly resolved. It is widely distributed in North America where it is most common in the West Coast states and in the eastern US. As of 2020, we have records that range from the coast to the lower elevations in the mountains.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Monopis crocicapitellaAlamance 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.