Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFPyralidae Members:
Dioryctria Members:
7 NC Records

Dioryctria pygmaeella Ragonot, 1887 - Bald Cypress Coneworm Moth

Dioryctria pygmaeellaDioryctria pygmaeellaDioryctria pygmaeella
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Pyraloidea		 Family:
Pyralidae		Subfamily:
Phycitinae		Tribe:
Phycitini		P3 Number:
80a0370		 MONA Number:
5849.00
Comments: One of forty species in this genus that occur in North America north of Mexico (Pohl et al., 2016). Eight species have been recorded in North Carolina.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Leckie and Beadle (2018)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Heinrich (1956); Neunzig (1997)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Mottled with patches or bands of red, black, white, orange, and purple. The pattern and coloration are similar to other species of Dioryctria, including amatella, merkeli, taedivorella, and zimmermani. However, pygmaeella is relatively smooth and lacks the heavy ridges of raised scales found in those species.
Wingspan: 15-21 mm (Heinrich, 1956)
Adult Structural Features: Both male and female reproductive structures are distinctive (see Heinrich, 1956, and Neunzig, 1997, for descriptions and illustrations)
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae are borers in the cones of cypress (Heinrich, 1956)
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Dioryctria pygmaeella
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

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