Moths of North Carolina
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Common Name:
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View PDFGracillariidae Members:
Parectopa Members:
6 NC Records

Parectopa lespedezaefoliella Clemens, 1860 - No Common Name

Taxonomy
Family: GracillariidaeSubfamily: OrnixolinaeP3 Number: 330178.00 MONA Number: 653.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Records for this species come from widely scattered locations, mainly in New England, the mid-Atlantic states, and the upper MidWest. This species appears to reach the southern edge of its range in North Carolina (see range maps in MPG and GBIF).
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:
Larval Host Plants: The larvae appear to be specialists on Lespedeza species (Eiseman, 2022). - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Leguminous Forb and Shrublands
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S2S3
State Protection:
Comments: Despite its use of common host plants, only a few occurrences have been documented in this state, and only the population in Durham County has been observed on multiple occasions and at more than one site within a single habitat unit. The low number of observations is consistent with observations elsewhere within its range, and it could be even scarcer here in North Carolina at the southern end of its range. On the other hand, its apparent rarity could simply reflect the relative lack of surveys that have been conducted for leaf miners until recently. Based on these considerations, we give it a state rank of S2S3, indicating its possible rarity on the one hand and the possibility that it may turn out to be of only low conservation concern on the other. The status of this species will be clarified as more surveys are done.

 Photo Gallery for Parectopa lespedezaefoliella - No common name

Photos: 7

Recorded by: David George, Rich Teper on 2023-09-25
Caswell Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn on 2023-08-12
Caswell Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman on 2022-07-21
Durham Co.
Comment: Upper surface blotch mine with branches, on Lespedeza procumbens.		Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman on 2022-06-06
Durham Co.
Comment: blotch leaf mine on upper surface, starlike with branches, on Lespedeza cuneata.
Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman on 2022-06-03
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2022-05-31
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2022-05-31
Wake Co.
Comment: