Moths of North Carolina
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22 NC Records

Diaphania hyalinata (Linnaeus, 1767) - Melonworm Moth

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Pyraloidea Family: CrambidaeSubfamily: PyraustinaeTribe: SpilomeliniP3 Number: 801297.00 MONA Number: 5204.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Immature Stages: Capinera (2000a)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: This is a very distinctive moth that has silvery white and semitransparent wings that are edged with a thick band of brown along the costa and outer margin. The head and thorax are brown, while the abdomen is silvery white except for the brown tip. A prominent anal brush is present on both sexes.
Wingspan: 25 mm (Capinera, 2000a).
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The following life history account is based on that of Capinera (2000a). The females lay clusters of 2-6 eggs on average on the buds, stems and undersides of leaves of squash or other cucurbit host plants. The eggs hatch in 3-4 days and the newly hatched larvae are colorless. By the second instar they are pale yellow-green, and during the fifth instar develop two subdorsal white stripes along the body that disappear just before pupation.

The larvae construct loose silken structures on the undersides of leaves which serve as daytime shelters, and leave these at night or at other times to feed on the foliage. The entire leaf is usually consumed except for the larger veins. If the available foliage is exhausted, or the plant is a less preferred species such as cantaloupe, then the larvae may either feed on the fruit surface or burrow into the fruit and cause spoilage. The larvae pass through five instars that last around two weeks, then commonly pupate in a leaf fold on the host plant within a loose cocoon. The adults emerge in 9-10 days, with the entire sequence from egg to adult requiring around one month. Local populations often pass through 1-3 generations per year depending on the latitude and time of arrival after a long-distance dispersal event.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Much like the Pickleworm Moth (Diaphania nitidalis), this is a tropical and subtropical species that cannot survive significant freezing winter temperatures. It overwinters successfully in southern Florida and southern Texas, then undergoes major dispersal events northward to invade much of the Southeast each summer. The moths commonly disperse as far as New England and the Great Lakes states, as well adjoining areas of southern Canada. It occurs statewide in North Carolina where it can be a pest on summer squash and other cucurbit vegetables (Capinera, 2000a).
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)

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