Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNepticulidae Members:
Zimmermannia Members:
2 NC Records

Zimmermannia mesoloba (Davis, 1978) - No Common Name

Zimmermannia mesolobaZimmermannia mesoloba
Taxonomy
Family: NepticulidaeP3 Number: 16a0080 MONA Number: 58.00
Comments: Zimmermannia mesoloba was previously placed in the genus Ectoedemia; Van Nieukerken et al. (2016) treated Ectoedemia coruscella as a junior synonym of this species.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Davis (1978); Wilkinson and Newton (1981).                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The following description is based on part on that of Wilkinson and Newton (1981) and Davis (1978), who based his original description on a single male specimen from the Florida Panhandle. This is a very small moth with a forewing length of < 3 mm. The head tuft and frons are densely covered with erect, hairlike scales that vary from a deep straw color to brownish-orange. The maxillary and labial palps are almost entirely whitish, and the antenna is approximately 0.6 times the length of the forewing. The scape (eye cap) and pedicel are whitish and contrast with the remainder of the antenna (flagellum) that is dark brown above and slightly paler below. The thorax is whitish and slightly suffused with brown scales, while the forewing is mostly dark brown to blackish and slightly irrorated with straw-colored to whitish scales. These tend to be concentrated in the cilia, near the middle of wing on the costal half, and in the subapical region along the costa, where they may form weakly differentiated whitish blotches or spots.
Forewing Length: 2.7 mm (Davis, 1978).
Adult Structural Features: Wilkinson and Newton (1981) provide a description and illustrations of the male genitalia. In this species, the uncus is essentially absent and the gnathos is fused and slightly produced mid-ventrally into a short, posteriorly directed process. The vinculum is broad and short, with the anterior margin only slightly concave. The valva is very slender, with a prominent, median, rounded lobe arising midway along the costal margin. The aedeagus has a complex array of armature that consists primarily of one pair of large, outwardly curved spines at the apex and a similar but shorter pair more subapically. The cornuti are numerous and largely concentrated in an elongate mass of short spines, with a single elongate, stout spine situated centrally. A smaller and more slender median cornutus is also present near the apex. Wilkinson and Newton (1981) note that the central part of the gnathos is markedly shorter than the lateral arms. This feature, together with the presence of a central boss on the valves, helps to separate Z. mesoloba from closely-related forms.
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Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The life history is undocumented, but the larvae are suspected of being bark-miners that feed on the twigs of hardwoods (Eiseman, 2022).
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: The distribution of this species is poorly documented, with a few scattered records from the eastern North America. These include northern Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, western Tennessee, Oklahoma, Illinois, Ohio, West Virginia., Maryland, Massachusetts and Ontario. As of 2024, we have only two records for the state, with one each from the Blue Ridge and Piedmont.
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 flight season is poorly documented, with most adults flying from September through October.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: The preferred habitats are poorly documented, but this species appears to be associated with hardwood forests.
Larval Host Plants: The hosts are undocumented, but the larvae likely mine the twigs of hardwoods such as oaks (Eiseman, 2022). - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights, but perhaps only weakly so.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR SU
State Protection:
Comments: Zimmermannia mesoloba appears to be rare in North Carolina, but more information is needed on its habitat requirements, distribution and abundance before we can accurately assess its conservation status within the state.

 Photo Gallery for Zimmermannia mesoloba - No common name

Photos: 2

Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-10-05
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Larry Chen on 2023-10-28
Orange Co.
Comment: