Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFPyralidae Members: Pococera Members: 44 NC Records

Pococera militella (Zeller, 1848) - Sycamore Webworm Moth

Pococera militella
view caption 		Pococera militella
view caption 		Pococera militellaPococera militella
view caption
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Pyraloidea		 Family:
Pyralidae		Subfamily:
Epipaschiinae		Tribe:
[Epipaschiini]		P3 Number:
80a0649		 MONA Number:
5604.00
Comments: The genus Pococera contains a taxonomically challenging group of species with many forms that are difficult to distinguish based on external morphology, coloration, and patterning. Rearing and knowledge of the host species can be helpful in a few instances, and some species can be identified based on external characteristics. However, we find many specimens from North Carolina that are challenging to assign to species with high confidence. The genitalia of species that have been examined from North Carolina are virtually identical and offer little help in sorting out species. DNA barcoding also offers little help since many of the established names show up in multiple BINs that likely reflect large numbers of misidentified specimens. Unfortunately, no one has any idea which of these specimens are accurately identified. A comprehensive study of North American members of the genus is clearly needed that will hopefully better delineate species boundaries and resolve some of the problems that hamper the accurate identification of specimens from within the state and elsewhere. At present, our assignment of specimens to certain species is best treated as provisional.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Pococera militellaAlamance 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.
Immature 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: immatures.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Nearly all of our records come from riparian habitats or sites located near water.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) (Forbes, 1923), which has been confirmed as the host in North Carolina. - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for Rich Wet Hardwood Forests
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 Pococera militella - Sycamore Webworm Moth

 54 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Pococera militellaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-23
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Pococera militellaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-03
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Pococera militellaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-08-06
Mitchell Co.
Comment: 		Pococera militellaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Patrick Coin, Steve Hall, Carol Tingley, Tom Howard on 2024-07-27
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Pococera militellaRecorded by: David George on 2024-07-04
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Pococera militellaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-05-25
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Pococera militellaRecorded by: David George, Rich Teper on 2024-05-13
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Pococera militellaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-09-04
Orange Co.
Comment:
Pococera militellaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-09-04
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Pococera militellaRecorded by: Simpson Eason on 2022-08-10
Durham Co.
Comment:
Pococera militellaRecorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-07-01
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Pococera militellaRecorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-06-26
Orange Co.
Comment:
Pococera militellaRecorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-06-25
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Pococera militellaRecorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-06-21
Caswell Co.
Comment:
Pococera militellaRecorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-06-20
Caswell Co.
Comment: 		Pococera militellaRecorded by: Simpson Eason on 2022-06-08
Durham Co.
Comment:
Pococera militellaRecorded by: tom ward on 2022-06-03
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Pococera militellaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-04-01
Madison Co.
Comment: A reared adult from a leaf fold on American Sycamore (see companion photo of the larva from 2021-09-15).
Pococera militellaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-04-01
Madison Co.
Comment: A reared adult from a leaf fold on American Sycamore (see companion photo of the larva from 2021-09-15).		Pococera militellaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-09-15
Madison Co.
Comment: A larva from American Sycamore leaf fold; adult emerged on April 1, 2022 after overwintering in a refrigerator.
Pococera militellaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-09-15
Madison Co.
Comment: A leaf fold on American Sycamore. Larva that was inside was reared; emerged on April 1, 2022 after overwintering in a refrigerator (see companion photo of the caterpillar). 		Pococera militellaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-06-26
Madison Co.
Comment:
Pococera militellaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-06-26
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Pococera militellaRecorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-06-21
Wake Co.
Comment:
Pococera militellaRecorded by: Simpson Eason on 2021-05-22
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Pococera militellaRecorded by: Gary Maness on 2021-05-20
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Pococera militellaRecorded by: Gary Maness on 2021-05-20
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Pococera militellaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-04-18
Madison Co.
Comment: This adult was reared from a flattened, rusty-color cocoon that was on the underside of an American Sycamore leaf that was collected on August 6, 2020. The pupa overwintered in the refrigerator and the adult emerged on 14 April, 2021.
Pococera militellaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-04-08
Buncombe Co.
Comment: This adult was reared from a larva on American Sycamore. The larva was in a folded leaf; collected on 7 August, 2020; pupation occurred in the fall; overwintered in refrig; adult emerged on 8 April, 2021 (see companion photo of the larva and folded leaf).		Pococera militellaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-04-08
Buncombe Co.
Comment: This adult was reared from a larva on American Sycamore. The larva was in a folded leaf; collected on 7 August, 2020; pupation occurred in the fall; overwintered in refrig; adult emerged on 8 April, 2021 (see companion photo of the larva and folded leaf).