Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Tineidae Members:	Monopis Members:	25 NC Records

Monopis marginistrigella (Chambers, 1873) - White-blotched Monopis

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Tineoidea

Family:
Tineidae

Subfamily:
Tineinae

Tribe:
[Tineini]

P3 Number:
300172

MONA Number:
417.00

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: (Leckie and Beadle (2018)

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

Technical Description, Adults: Forbes (1923)

Adult Markings: The head and head tuft are pale yellowish to yellowish white, and the labial palp yellowish white with brown underneath.
The antenna is light brown to brownish yellow above with dark brown annulations. The thorax is dark brown above. The ground color of the forewing is dark brown to blackish and speckled with varying levels of whitish or pale yellow scales. There are two large diffuse patches of whitish scales. The first is mid-way along the costa and extends to near the middle of the wing where a semi-translucent spot is sometimes evident. The second is along the inner margin near the anal angle where the patch extends both into the adjoining dorsal fringe and to about one-third the depth of the wing. The costa has a series of alternating light and dark spots or blotches that are rather obscure before the mid-wing and more pronounced towards the apex. They continue around the apex and termen into the base of the fringe, then terminate at the whitish patch near the anal angle. The hindwing is uniformly brown grayish white with a wide fringe, and the legs have alternate white and dark brown to blackish bands.

Wingspan: 9 mm (Forbes, 1923)

Forewing Length: 7-8 mm TL (Leckie and Beadle, 2018).

Structural photos

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

Immatures and Development: The life history is undocumented.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Monopis marginistrigella is found in eastern North America in southern Ontario and Quebec, and throughout much of the eastern US. The range in the US extends from the New England states westward to Minnesota, Illinois and Arkansas, and southward to Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and South Carolina. Populations are undocumented in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. As of 2023, our records are from lower to higher elevations in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and at one recently discovered site in the eastern 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: Adults have been recorded from April through October outside of North Carolina, with most occurring from May through August. As of 2023, we have records from mid-May through late-October, with populations showing evidence of having multiple broods.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: This species is very likely a scavenger or detritivore and is not strongly affiliated with a particular habitat type.

Larval Host Plants: The larvae are presumably detritivores, as are closely related species, but the larvae have yet to be discovered. - View

Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.

Wikipedia

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR SU

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

Comments: We currently do not have sufficient information on this species to assess its conservation status.

Photo Gallery for Monopis marginistrigella - White-blotched Monopis

Photos: 21

	Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2024-04-29 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-04-29 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-04-29 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-09-20 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-09-20 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Bo Sullivan and Becky Elkin on 2023-09-15 Macon Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: B. Bockhahn on 2023-06-17 Avery Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-10 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-05-29 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-05-20 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-05-20 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2020-10-26 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Vin Stanton on 2020-05-26 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Vin Stanton on 2020-05-26 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-09-24 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-09-24 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-09-16 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-09-16 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-08-02 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Kyle Kittelberger, Brian Bockhahn on 2015-06-18 Avery Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: B. Bockhahn, P. Scharf, K. Kittelberger on 2015-06-17 Avery Co. Comment: