Moths of North Carolina
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Agonopterix Members:
32 NC Records

Agonopterix eupatoriiella (Chambers, 1878) - No Common Name


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Taxonomy
Superfamily: Gelechioidea Family: DepressariidaeSubfamily: DepressariinaeTribe: [Depressariini]P3 Number: 420078.00 MONA Number: 866.00
Comments: Agonopterix is a large holarctic genus with more than 125 species, with most occurring in the Palearctic Region. Currently, there are 47 recognized species in North America. Our species are largely confined to the western mountains.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Chambers, 1878; Clarke, 1941                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The following is based primarily on description by Chambers (1878) and Clarke (1941). The head, antenna, palps, thorax and forewing vary from light brown or fuscous to dark gray. The labial palp is light ochreous-gray and the second segment is lightly irrorated with black scales. The third segment is long and recurved. It is almost entirely black, with only narrow, poorly defined, median and apical bands of the light ground color showing. The forewing is distinctive in having numerous tiny tufts that are composed of raised black-tipped scales. The four discal dots (Forbes, 1923) are generally inconspicuous except for the most posterior (dot 'd') that is white and surrounded by a few black scales. The two anteriormost discal dots ( 'a' and 'b') are often evident as tiny black dots with a few associated white scales. Dot 'c' is usually not evident. The costa has a series of poorly defined blackish spots, and the cilia are ochreous-fuscous. The hindwing is pale grayish and the legs are dark gray or fuscous. This species is rather nondescript. The light diffuse band behind the head that is pronounced on many Agonopterix is either missing or poorly developed, as is the dark blotch that adjoins it. The numerous minute raised black tufts on the forewing are the most distinctive feature of this species.
Wingspan: 22-24 mm (Clarke, 1941)
Forewing Length: 9.3-10.8 (Hodges, 1974)
Adult Structural Features: Clarke (1941) provides detailed descriptions and illustrations of the male and female genitalia.
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Very little is known about the larval life history. A specimen that used Hairy Leafcup in Iowa (BugGuide) partially folded a leaf lengthwise using silk. The larva was light green with a rusty wash over the dorsum.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Agonopterix eupatoriiella is found primarily in eastern North America, including in Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec. In the US, the range extends from Vermont and Connecticut westward to Illinois and Wisconsin, and south and southwestward to Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. This species has been reported from Mississippi and Florida, but we are unaware of any recent records from this region. Populations in the southern Appalachians in Tennessee and North Carolina appear to be disjunct from the main range farther north. As of 2023, most of our records are from the Blue Ridge, along with three records from the Piedmont.
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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