Moths of North Carolina

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Rhectocraspeda periusalis (Walker, 1859) - Eggplant Webworm Moth

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Pyraloidea

Family:
Crambidae

Subfamily:
Pyraustinae

Tribe:
Spilomelini

P3 Number:
80a1002

MONA Number:
5157.00

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions:

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

Adult Markings: This species has a uniformly light to medium brown ground color on the head, thorax, abdomen, forewings and hindwings. The antemedial and postmedial lines on the forewing vary from dark brown to blackish, while the lunate reniform spot is of similar color. The z-shaped postmedial line extends perpendicular from the costa, then bends at a 90 degree angle inwards before making a similar bend towards the inner margin where it meets it nearly perpendicular. The fringe is buff to dull white with a darker line at the base. The hindwing has a single postmedial line just beyond the middle that is curved outward, and a white fringe with a narrow dark base.

Forewing Length: females are 8.2 - 9.7 mm and males are 9.5 - 10.0 mm (Hayden et al., 2013).

Adult Structural Features: Hayden et al. (2013) have descriptions and illustrations of the male and female genitalia.

Structural photos

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

Immatures and Development: Hayden et al. (2013) summarized the larval life cycle as follows. The females lay eggs singly on the undersides of leaves and the larvae hatch in five to eight days. The young larvae either mine the leaves and form irregular blotch mines or feed on tissue near the leaf’s midrib. Subsequent larval instars exit the mine and web leaves together or fold over leaf edges to feed and hide inside. The larvae feed for 18-20 days and have four or more instars before entering a 3-day prepupal stage. Pupation occurs in a loose cocoon among the webbing, and it lasts 9 to 12 days. The life cycle takes around 7 weeks to complete in the tropics.

The young larvae are yellowish and mostly unmarked, while the older larvae have a dark greenish mid-dorsal region that is bordered by two reddish-brown stripes. Light reddish-brown markings also occur along the lighter-colored sides. The head is mottled and the prothoracic shield is dark brown to blackish with a pale middle section (Hayden et al., 2013). The pinacula are conspicuously brown. The subventral group of the first abdominal segment has two setae, and the D2 pinacula on the eighth segment are not fused.

Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Rhectocraspeda periusalis occurs in the southeastern US and also in Central and South America, including Brazil, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Puerto Rico, Surinam, and Trinidad and Tobago (Hayden et al., 2013). It occurs in the Southeast from North Carolina southward to southern Florida and westward to eastern Texas and eastern Oklahoma. Isolated records also exist for Ohio and Ontario. Although this species is uncommon in North Carolina, we have 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
Flight Comments: The adults fly year-round in Florida and from June through November elsewhere. As of 2023, we have records from early-June through early-November.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Rhectocraspeda periusalis is commonly associated with home gardens, agricultural fields and field edges. Most of our records are from residential settings, but we have two records from the Coastal Plain from natural communities, including a Long-Leaf Pine community in the Sandhills.

Larval Host Plants: The larvae feed primarily on members of the Solanaceae, particularly Solanum species, but on rare occasion use other hosts (Heppner, 2007; Robinson et al., 2010; Hayden et al., 2013). Reported hosts include Red Pepper (Capsicum annuum), Tabasco Pepper (C. frutescens), a strawberry (Fragaria sp.), Cultivated Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia), Potato Tree (Solanum hirtum), Garden Tomato (S. lycopersicum), Eggplant (S. melongena), European Black Nightshade (S. nigrum), Turkey Berry (S. torvum), Potato (S. tuberosum), and an Amaranthus species. - View

Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights and the larvae can be found on the host plants.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Fields, Gardens, and Ruderal Habitats

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S3S4]

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

Comments:

Photo Gallery for Rhectocraspeda periusalis - Eggplant Webworm Moth

Photos: 7

	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-11-04 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2018-11-05 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2018-11-05 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2018-11-05 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2018-10-06 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2017-06-20 Cabarrus Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Hall and Ed Corey on 2016-10-01 Bladen Co. Comment: