Moths of North Carolina
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Significant Contributors
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Family (Alpha):
ACROLEPIIDAE-
ADELIDAE-
AMPHISBATIDAE-
AUTOSTICHIDAE-
BATRACHEDRIDAE-
BEDELLIIDAE-
BLASTOBASIDAE-
BOMBYCIDAE-
BUCCULATRICIDAE-
CARPOSINIDAE-
CHOREUTIDAE-
COLEOPHORIDAE-
COSMOPTERIGIDAE-
COSSIDAE-
CRAMBIDAE-
DEPRESSARIIDAE-
DREPANIDAE-
ELACHISTIDAE-
EPERMENIIDAE-
EPIPYROPIDAE-
EREBIDAE-Erebid Moths
ERIOCRANIIDAE-
EUTELIIDAE-
GALACTICIDAE-
GELECHIIDAE-
GEOMETRIDAE-
GLYPHIDOCERIDAE-
GLYPHIPTERIGIDAE-
GRACILLARIIDAE-
HELIOZELIDAE-
HEPIALIDAE-
HYBLAEIDAE-
INCURVARIIDAE-
LASIOCAMPIDAE-
LECITHOCERIDAE-Long-horned Moths
LIMACODIDAE-
LYONETIIDAE-
MEGALOPYGIDAE-Flannel Moths
MICROPTERIGIDAE-
MIMALLONIDAE-
MOMPHIDAE-Mompha Moths
NEPTICULIDAE-
NOCTUIDAE-Owlet Moths
NOLIDAE-
NOTODONTIDAE-
OECOPHORIDAE-
OPOSTEGIDAE-
PELEOPODIDAE-
PLUTELLIDAE-
PRODOXIDAE-
PSYCHIDAE-Bagworm Moths
PTEROPHORIDAE-
PYRALIDAE-
SATURNIIDAE-Saturniids
SCHRECKENSTEINIIDAE-
SESIIDAE-
SPHINGIDAE-Sphinx Moths
THYATIRIDAE-
THYRIDIDAE-
TINEIDAE-
TISCHERIIDAE-
TORTRICIDAE-
URANIIDAE-
URODIDAE-
XYLORYCTIDAE-
YPONOMEUTIDAE-
YPSOLOPHIDAE-
ZYGAENIDAE-
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Gracillariidae Members:
Acrocercops albinatella
Acrocercops astericola
Acrocercops unidentified species
Anarsioses aberrans
Aristaea pennsylvaniella
Caloptilia alnivorella
Caloptilia azaleella
Caloptilia belfragella
Caloptilia bimaculatella
Caloptilia blandella
Caloptilia cornusella
Caloptilia coroniella
Caloptilia flavella
Caloptilia glutinella
Caloptilia hypericella
Caloptilia invariabilis
Caloptilia juglandiella
Caloptilia negundella
Caloptilia ostryaeella
Caloptilia packardella
Caloptilia paradoxum
Caloptilia porphyretica
Caloptilia rhoifoliella
Caloptilia sassafrasella
Caloptilia serotinella
Caloptilia stigmatella
Caloptilia superbifrontella
Caloptilia triadicae
Caloptilia umbratella
Caloptilia unidentified species
Caloptilia violacella
Cameraria aceriella
Cameraria aesculisella
Cameraria arcuella
Cameraria bethunella
Cameraria betulivora
Cameraria caryaefoliella
Cameraria castaneaeella
Cameraria cincinnatiella
Cameraria conglomeratella
Cameraria corylisella
Cameraria fletcherella
Cameraria guttifinitella
Cameraria hamadryadella
Cameraria hamameliella
Cameraria lentella
Cameraria macrocarpella
Cameraria obstrictella
Cameraria ostryarella
Cameraria picturatella
Cameraria quercivorella
Cameraria saccharella
Cameraria tubiferella
Cameraria ulmella
Cameraria unidentified species
Chrysaster ostensackenella
Cremastobombycia ignota
Cremastobombycia solidaginis
Cremastobombycia unidentified species
Cryptolectica strigosa
Leucanthiza amphicarpeaefoliella
Leucospilapteryx unidentified species
Leucospilapteryx venustella
Macrosaccus morrisella
Macrosaccus robiniella
Macrosaccus uhlerella
Marmara apocynella
Marmara fasciella
Marmara fraxinicola
Marmara serotinella
Marmara smilacisella
Marmara unidentified species
Marmara viburnella
Micrurapteryx salicifoliella
Neurobathra strigifinitella
Neurobathra unidentified species
New genus and species near Neurobathra
Parectopa lespedezaefoliella
Parectopa plantaginisella
Parectopa robiniella
Parectopa unidentified species
Parornix geminatella
Parornix obliterella
Parornix preciosella
Parornix unidentified species
Parornix vicinella
Phyllocnistis ampelopsiella
Phyllocnistis hyperpersea
Phyllocnistis insignis
Phyllocnistis liquidambarisella
Phyllocnistis liriodendronella
Phyllocnistis New Species one
Phyllocnistis subpersea
Phyllocnistis unidentified species
Phyllocnistis vitegenella
Phyllocnistis vitifoliella
Phyllonorycter aeriferella
Phyllonorycter albanotella
Phyllonorycter argentifimbriella
Phyllonorycter argentinotella
Phyllonorycter auronitens
Phyllonorycter basistrigella
Phyllonorycter caryaealbella
Phyllonorycter celtifoliella
Phyllonorycter celtisella
Phyllonorycter crataegella
Phyllonorycter diversella
Phyllonorycter fitchella
Phyllonorycter intermixta
Phyllonorycter lucetiella
Phyllonorycter lucidicostella
Phyllonorycter maestingella
Phyllonorycter mariaeella
Phyllonorycter martiella
Phyllonorycter New Species one
Phyllonorycter obscuricostella
Phyllonorycter occitanica
Phyllonorycter ostryaefoliella
Phyllonorycter propinquinella
Phyllonorycter quercialbella
Phyllonorycter rhododendrella
Phyllonorycter salicifoliella
Phyllonorycter scudderella
Phyllonorycter tiliacella
Phyllonorycter trinotella
Phyllonorycter unidentified species
Phyllonorycter viburnella
Porphyrosela desmodiella
Porphyrosela minuta
Porphyrosela unidentified species
Povolnya quercinigrella
Telamoptilia hibiscivora
Phyllonorycter
Members:
Phyllonorycter aeriferella
Phyllonorycter albanotella
Phyllonorycter argentifimbriella
Phyllonorycter argentinotella
Phyllonorycter auronitens
Phyllonorycter basistrigella
Phyllonorycter caryaealbella
Phyllonorycter celtifoliella
Phyllonorycter celtisella
Phyllonorycter crataegella
Phyllonorycter diversella
Phyllonorycter fitchella
Phyllonorycter intermixta
Phyllonorycter lucetiella
Phyllonorycter lucidicostella
Phyllonorycter maestingella
Phyllonorycter mariaeella
Phyllonorycter martiella
Phyllonorycter New Species one
Phyllonorycter obscuricostella
Phyllonorycter occitanica
Phyllonorycter ostryaefoliella
Phyllonorycter propinquinella
Phyllonorycter quercialbella
Phyllonorycter rhododendrella
Phyllonorycter salicifoliella
Phyllonorycter scudderella
Phyllonorycter tiliacella
Phyllonorycter trinotella
Phyllonorycter unidentified species
Phyllonorycter viburnella
1 NC Records
Phyllonorycter rhododendrella
(Braun, 1935) - No Common Name
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Gracillarioidea
Family:
Gracillariidae
Subfamily:
Lithocolletinae
Tribe:
[Lithocolletini]
P3 Number:
330323.00
MONA Number:
787.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions:
Online Photographs:
MPG
,
BugGuide
,
iNaturalist
,
Google
,
BAMONA
,
GBIF
,
BOLD
Adult Markings:
The following description is base on Braun (1935), who reared a large series from eastern Tennessee. The head and tuft are pure white, while the antenna is whitish with a darkened tip. The thorax and extreme base of the forewing are white, and the ground color of the forewing is a golden yellowish-brown. The ground is overlain with white markings that include a median basal streak, a dorsal spot near the base, four costal streaks and three dorsal streaks. The median basal streak is straight, extends about one-fourth the wing length, and is margined above, and very rarely at the tip, with dark brown scales. The dark scales sometimes extend beyond the middle of the wing where they unite with the dark basal margin of the first costal streak. The dorsal spot near the base is variable in size, unmargined, and sometimes narrowly connected with the base along the wing margin.
The forewing streaks include a wide, outwardly-oblique, median pair near the middle, with the tip of the costal streak extending beyond that of the first dorsal streak. Both have a thin, dark margin on the basal and terminal edges. A second pair of outwardly-oblique streaks occur at around four-fifths the wing length, with the dorsal one larger and more quadrate that the opposing costal one, and extending just beyond the middle of the wing. These and the remaining streaks have a thin, dark basal margin. The remaining streaks are smaller than those of the first two pairs, and include two costal streaks and a dorsal streak. A small black apical spot is present that is adjoins a white patch or short streak. The fringe is yellowish-brown but shades to more whitish near the apex. The hindwing is pale grayish ocherous, with the fringe more ocherous. The legs are white, with the anterior tibiae and tarsi only shaded with dark fuscous. Braun (1935) noted that females tend to have a deeper ground color and more sharply defined markings relative to the males.
Wingspan:
11 mm (Braun, 1935).
Adult ID Requirements:
Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development:
The larvae produce large, tentiform mines on the undersides of new, tender
Rhododendron
leaves. Braun (1935) noted that the parenchyma is eaten irregularly, which results in small patches around the periphery of the mine and a larger area in the middle that is uneaten. The loosened lower epidermis is thrown into several long ridges when the leaf is bent. The mature larva partitions off one end of the mine with a very thin silken web that is thinly lined with silk. The pupa is suspended in a few silken threads that are not sufficiently dense to call a cocoon. Overwintering occurs in the pupal stage and the adults emerge early the next summer.
Larvae ID Requirements:
Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
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:
Local populations appear to be univoltine and exploit the young, tender leaves of rhododendrons following the spring or summer leaf-out.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Local populations are restricted to habitats that support
Rhododendron carolinianum
and probably
R. minus
.
Larval Host Plants:
The documented hosts include Carolina Rhododendron (
R. carolinianum
) and ornamental hybrids that are crosses of
R. minus
with other species (iNaturalist). Piedmont Rhododendron (
R. minus
) is likely used in North Carolina, but has not been verified as of 2024.
Observation Methods:
We recommend searching for the mines on
R. carolinianum
and
R. minus
.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks:
State Protection:
Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:
Photo Gallery for
Phyllonorycter rhododendrella
- No common name
Photos: 3
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George on 2024-08-05
Transylvania Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George on 2024-08-05
Transylvania Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George on 2024-08-05
Transylvania Co.
Comment: