Moths of North Carolina
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
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View PDFPyralidae Members: Oreana Members: 32 NC Records

Oreana unicolorella (Hulst, 1887) - Ladder-marked Caterpillar Moth

Oreana unicolorellaOreana unicolorellaOreana unicolorella
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Pyraloidea		 Family:
Pyralidae		Subfamily:
Phycitinae		Tribe:
Phycitini		P3 Number:
80a0224		 MONA Number:
5767.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Neunzig (1996)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: "Similar to other mainly gray phycitines, but can be told with good photo" (Scholtens, 2017)
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].
Immatures and Development: The larvae feed on the leaves of hardwoods and construct a loosely webbed shelter on the leaf surface, and often within a curled or folded portion of a leaf. The mature larvae are around 15-20 mm long, and have a ground color that is bright yellowish-green. The head and prothoracic shield are marked with an elaborate pattern of reddish-brown marks, and the remainder of the body has reddish-brown marking of the same shade that produce a ladder-like pattern down the dorsum of the abdomen. Overwintering occurs in the pupal stage within a rolled leaf on the ground (Chapman and Lienk, 1971). These authored proposed the common name 'Ladder-marked Caterpillar' due to the distinctive pattern on the older instars.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Oreana unicolorellaAlamance 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:
Larval Host Plants: The larvae are polyphagous and feed on a variety of hardwood trees and shrubs (Prentice, 1966; Robinson et al., 2010). The reported hosts include Red Maple (Acer rubrum), Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis), hawthorns (Crataegus), Common Apple (Malus domestica), White Oak (Quercus alba), Northern Red Oak (Q. rubra), willows (Salix), American Basswood (Tilia americana), and American Elm (Ulmus americana). In North Carolina, larvae have been recorded feeding on American Elm and Slippery Elm (U. rubra). - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General 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 Oreana unicolorella - Ladder-marked Caterpillar Moth

Photos: 20
Oreana unicolorellaRecorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2024-08-20
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Oreana unicolorellaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Kevin Bischof on 2024-08-07
Transylvania Co.
Comment:
Oreana unicolorellaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-08-06
Transylvania Co.
Comment: 		Oreana unicolorellaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-08-05
Transylvania Co.
Comment:
Oreana unicolorellaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-07-12
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Oreana unicolorellaRecorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2024-07-09
Orange Co.
Comment:
Oreana unicolorellaRecorded by: Emily Stanley on 2024-06-26
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Oreana unicolorellaRecorded by: Emily Stanley on 2024-06-26
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Oreana unicolorellaRecorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-06-07
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Oreana unicolorellaRecorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-06-07
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Oreana unicolorellaRecorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-06-07
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Oreana unicolorellaRecorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-05-21
Wake Co.
Comment:
Oreana unicolorellaRecorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-07-07
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Oreana unicolorellaRecorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-05-24
Wake Co.
Comment:
Oreana unicolorellaRecorded by: Darryl Willis on 2020-09-09
Cabarrus Co.
Comment: 		Oreana unicolorellaRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-08-17
Madison Co.
Comment:
Oreana unicolorellaRecorded by: Darryl Willis on 2015-10-08
Cabarrus Co.
Comment: 		Oreana unicolorellaRecorded by: Darryl Willis on 2015-05-18
Cabarrus Co.
Comment:
Oreana unicolorellaRecorded by: Doug Blatny/Jackie Nelson on 2012-06-17
Ashe Co.
Comment: 		Oreana unicolorellaRecorded by: Doug Blatny/Jackie Nelson on 2012-06-17
Ashe Co.
Comment: Same 20999.jpg image but lightened.