Moths of North Carolina
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
« »
View PDFGracillariidae Members:
Leucanthiza Members:
53 NC Records

Leucanthiza amphicarpeaefoliella Clemens, 1860 - No Common Name


view caption
view caption
view caption
Taxonomy
Superfamily: Gracillarioidea Family: GracillariidaeSubfamily: GracillariinaeTribe: [Gracillariini]P3 Number: 330228.00 MONA Number: 700.00
Comments: This is a small genus with only two described species in North America.
Species Status: The larvae of L. amphicarpeaefoliella are specialized leafminers on American Hog-peanut (Amphicarpaea bracteata), while a related species (L. dircella) specializes on Leatherwood (Dirca palustris). This is one of only two moths that mine Amphicarpaea, and L. amphicarpeaefoliella is unique in producing flat upper surface blotch mines.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Eiseman, 2019Technical Description, Immature Stages: Eiseman, 2019                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The adults are easily identified by their bold orange, black, and metallic silvery patterning on the forewings, in combination with the dark antennae with white tips. The ground color of the forewing is orange. One of the most distinctive features is a conspicuous dark brown, oval, basal blotch that is bordered on both ends by silvery metallic bands. Leucanthiza dircella is a similar species that specializes on Leatherwood. According to Braun (1914), L. dircella differs in several ways (see Microleps.org). In particular, the dark brown patch at the base of the forewing does not reach the dorsal margin. There is a short golden streak near the middle of the dorsum, along with an inwardly-oblique, longer one at the tornus. In addition, a straight, full-width transverse golden fascia on the outer edge of the basal dark patch encloses a small patch of orange. The adults of Leucanthiza dircella have rarely been collected and almost all records are for leaf mines. We are unaware of any specimens from North Carolina, which likely reflects the fact that the host plant (Dirca palustris) is rare or very uncommon in North Carolina.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The larvae form large upper surface blotch mines that are whitish. These typically have one or two small, dirty brown stained blotches at the beginning of the mine. The mine and frass pattern is weakly visible from the underside of the leaflet due to the very thin leaves of the host plant. Females often lay more than one egg per leaflet, and individual mines may fuse with time so that the larvae feed communally. The frass is composed of fine pellets that are scattered, but concentrated near the center of the mine. Late-instar larvae leave the mine and spin a white, oval cocoon for pupation (Eiseman, 2019).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: L. amphicarpeaefoliella has been documented in eastern North America from Ontario, Quebec and the northeastern US, southwestward to Iowa, Kentucky, and the southern Appalachians to as far south as western North Carolina and northern Georgia (Eiseman, 2019; Pohl et al., 2018, iNaturalist). It is common throughout the Blue Ridge in western North Carolina at sites where the host plant occurs locally.
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
Flight Comments: This species appear to be bivoltine or multivoltine in areas outside of North Carolina (Eiseman, 2019). Local populations in North Carolina have two broods, with the first centered around June and July and the second from late August through mid-October. As of 2022, the adults have been collected in North Carolina beginning in early May.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: The host plant is mostly found in forests or along forest edges with moist soils. It can also tolerate fairly dry conditions (Weakley, 2015).
Larval Host Plants: This species is a specialist on American Hog-peanut (Amphicarpaea bracteata). - View
Observation Methods: Searching for the presence of leaf mines on Amphicarpaea may be the best way to document local populations. Adults also are attracted to blacklights. The leaf mines are sometimes secondarily colonized by a leaf-mining beetle, Odontota mundula, so care should be taken to check the identity of resident larvae. Odontota mundula produces a full-depth mine and pupates within the mine, while L. amphicarpeaefoliella produces an upper-surface mine and pupates externally.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Wet-Mesic Hardwood Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S4S5
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: The host plant, American Hog-peanut, is listed as S5 and occupies a fairly wide range of habitats from the Blue Ridge eastward across the Piedmont. Leucanthiza amphicarpeaefoliella is often locally common in the mountains and foothills wherever Hog-peanut is present. On that basis, we estimate that this species is secure within the state.

 Photo Gallery for Leucanthiza amphicarpeaefoliella - No common name

68 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-08-18
Caswell Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-08-18
Caswell Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn on 2023-08-12
Caswell Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-31
Macon Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Becky Watkins on 2023-07-30
Swain Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Becky Watkins on 2023-07-29
Swain Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-10-04
Transylvania Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-09-20
Haywood Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-09-20
Haywood Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-09-15
Caldwell Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-09-15
Caldwell Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-08-23
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-08-09
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-07-11
Henderson Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-07-11
Henderson Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-06-18
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-06-16
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-06-16
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-05-03
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-03-09
Madison Co.
Comment: One of four adults that emerged from mines collected on 3 Sept, 2021 after overwintering.
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-03-09
Madison Co.
Comment: One of four adults that emerged from mines collected on 3 Sept, 2021 after overwintering. 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-10-14
Yancey Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-09-24
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-09-24
Henderson Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-09-18
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-09-12
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-09-10
Jackson Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-09-10
Transylvania Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-09-10
Transylvania Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-09-09
Jackson Co.
Comment: