Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGracillariidae Members:
Caloptilia Members:
19 NC Records

Caloptilia packardella (Chambers, 1872) - No Common Name

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Gracillarioidea Family: GracillariidaeSubfamily: GracillariinaeTribe: [Gracillariini]P3 Number: 330142.00 MONA Number: 620.00
Comments: Caloptilia is a large genus with nearly 300 described species; 64 species have been described in North America north of Mexico. The larvae begin as leaf-mining sap-feeders, but the latter instars usually exit the mines and feed within a conical roll that begins at the leaf apex or at the tip of a leaf lobe.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Chambers 1872; Forbes, 1923.                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The ground color of the forewings varies from light orange to darker shades of orangish brown. The most distinctive feature of this species is a large, yellowish golden, equilateral triangular patch on the forewing that reaches nearly to the inner margin. The base of the wing, upper thorax, upper head and cilia are shaded with pale golden coloration. The face and palps are white, except for the joints of the palps that are tipped with golden coloration. Some specimens also exhibit a narrow yellowish-golden band that extends along the costa from the triangular patch to just before the apex (Chambers 1872; Forbes, 1923).
Wingspan: 12 mm (Forbes, 1923)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The larva initially forms a short, linear mine that is abandoned early in development. They then form a conical feeding structure by rolling the leaf downward. Pupation is usually on the ground (Eiseman, 2019).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Caloptilia packardella ranges from the Great Lakes region, the northeastern US, and adjoining areas of southern Canada, south and southwestward to Kentucky, eastern Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina. As of 2019, we have records from only three counties in NC, including one from the Blue Ridge and two from Piedmont counties.
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)

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