Moths of North Carolina
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Common Name:
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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: PyralidaeSubfamily: EpipaschiinaeTribe: [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                                                                                 
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.
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Immature Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
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 Sycamore (Forbes, 1923; Robinson et al., 2010) - 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.

Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-23
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-03
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-08-06
Mitchell Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Patrick Coin, Steve Hall, Carol Tingley, Tom Howard on 2024-07-27
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George on 2024-07-04
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-05-25
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Rich Teper on 2024-05-13
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-09-04
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-09-04
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2022-08-10
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-07-01
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-06-26
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-06-25
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-06-21
Caswell Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-06-20
Caswell Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2022-06-08
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-06-03
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded 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).
Recorded 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).		Recorded 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.
Recorded 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). 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-06-26
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-06-26
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-06-21
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2021-05-22
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2021-05-20
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2021-05-20
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded 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.
Recorded 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).		Recorded 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).