Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGracillariidae Members:
Parectopa Members:
28 NC Records

Parectopa plantaginisella (Chambers, 1872) - No Common Name


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Taxonomy
Superfamily: Gracillarioidea Family: GracillariidaeSubfamily: GracillariinaeTribe: [Gracillariini]P3 Number: 330180.00 MONA Number: 656.00
Comments: The genus Parectopa contains around 40 species that are found worldwide, including nine species in North America. All are very small moths that are specialized leafminers.
Species Status: When Chambers (1872) described Parectopa plantaginisella he mistakenly listed the host plant as Plantago virginica. He later realized that it was an Erigeron and rename the moth P. erigeronella, but that name is not accepted because of the principle of priority (Eiseman, 2019).
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Chambers (1872); Forbes (1923)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Eiseman, 2019.                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The following is primarily based on descriptions by Chambers (1872) and Forbes (1923). The labial palps are bronze on the outer side and mostly white within, while the maxillary palps are white with brownish tips. The antenna is pale brown. The vertex, thorax, and forewing have a brownish golden ground color. The vertex has a silvery white stripe on each side that continues back onto the sides of the brownish golden thorax. From there, the white stripe connects or nearly connects with a longitudinal basal streak on the forewing. There are four costal and three dorsal silvery white streaks that are roughly equally spaced and extend almost to the center of the wing. All have dark margins on both the sides and around the apex. The streaks are posteriorly oblique, except for the fourth costal (anteriorly oblique) and the third dorsal (approximately perpendicular or slightly anteriorly oblique). A strong silver subterminal spot is present opposite the tip of the third costal streak that is continued by a white bar in the fringe. The apical spot has a large silver center. The fringe is black with a white triangle below the apex, and is strongly caudate. The legs are banded with white and black. Parectopa pennsylvaniella has very similar markings, This species is darker, has streaks that are less heavily black-edged, has a white head other than the light brown vertex, and specializes on asters (Symphyotrichum) rather than fleabanes as seen in P. plantaginisella. It has a more northern range and has not been recorded in North Carolina as of 2020.
Wingspan: 7 mm (Forbes, 1923).
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The yellowish larva initially produces a yellowish linear mine on the lower leaf surface that has a narrow central frass line. This then expands into a much larger yellowish blotch that is rather puffy, with irregular patches eaten out (Eiseman, 2019). The frass is deposited in a pile at one corner, or in the leaf tip if the mine extends to it. The last instar eventually exits the blotch and spins an elongate, brownish cocoon, although is rare instances the cocoon is spun in the mine (Eiseman, 2019).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Parectopa plantaginisella is rather widely distributed in North America. Populations occur in Ontario, Quebec, and the eastern US, as well as Oregon and Washington. In the eastern US, the range extends from the northeastern states to Minnesota, and southward to the Gulf Coast regions of Louisiana and Florida. As of 2020, we have records from the lower elevations in the mountains to the western Coastal Plain.
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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