Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Depressariidae Members:	Machimia Members:	122 NC Records

Machimia tentoriferella Clemens, 1860 - Gold-striped Leaftier Moth

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Gelechioidea

Family:
Depressariidae

Subfamily:
[Amphisbatinae]

Tribe:
[Amphisbatini]

P3 Number:
59a0257

MONA Number:
951.00

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)

Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD

Technical Description, Immature Stages: Chapman and Lienk, 1971; Marquis et al., 2019

Adult Markings: The following description is primarily based on that of Clarke (1941). The labial palp is pale yellowish white, and the second segment is strongly suffused with blackish fuscous exteriorly on the basal half. The third segment is inwardly speckled with blackish fuscous on the basal third. The antenna is ochreous and annulated with fuscous, while the head is pale whitish ochreous. The thorax and forewing are reddish ochreous and sparsely specked with blackish fuscous. The thorax has a patch of black scales at the posterior tip, and the forewing has three prominent blackish-fuscous spots. Two are at the beginning and end of the cell, and the third is equidistant between these two, closer to the inner margin, and more diffuse. At about two-thirds the wing length, a blackish-fuscous line of scales extends from the costa posteriorly for a short distance. It then sharply angles back towards the inner margin while roughly paralleling the curvature of the termen. A series of small, blackish-fuscous spots extends from near the end of the costa around the termen and onto the inner margin for a short distance. The cilia of the forewing are ochreous. The hindwing is fuscous with a reddish cast and the cilia are ochreous with a fuscous sub-basal band. The legs are ochreous and heavily overlaid with fuscous, except at the joints. The abdomen is ochreous and speckled and suffused with blackish fuscous. This is a distinctive species that is best distinguished by the broadly curved wings with angulated tips, the three prominent blackish-fuscous spots on the forewing, and the black patch of scales near the posterior tip of the thorax. The blackish-fuscous line in the post-median region that angles back towards the inner margin is often faint in worn specimens.

Wingspan: 19-28 mm (Clarke, 1941).

Adult Structural Features: Clarke (1941) provides detailed descriptions and illustrations of the male and female genitalia.

Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.

Immatures and Development: The larvae are polyphagous and feed on hardwoods. They reside within shelters that consist of either leaves that are tied together, or a single leaf that is partially folded or rolled. Each larva makes a flat surface web on the underside of a leaf that is open at either end and slightly raised to produce a domed retreat. Early instars skeletonize the leaf at the head end of the web, but later instars feed outside of the retreat and eat the whole leaf. When disturbed, the larva wriggles backward to escape and drops through the rear slit in the web (Marquis et al., 2019). Pupation occurs within the shelter or under the folded edge of a leaf (Forbes, 1923; Chapman and Lienk, 1971; Baker, 1972; Marquis et al. 2019). In Missouri the larvae are found during June and July and pupation occurs in a folded leaf during July and August (Marquis et al. 2019). Unlike Psilocorsis species, the larva lacks a punctate head and is green with two faint longitudinal whitish bands (Marquis et al. 2019). The head is light yellow or yellowish-green, and the mature larvae are around 17-21 mm long (Chapman and Lienk, 1971).

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Machimia tentoriferella is found primarily in eastern North America, including much of extreme southern Canada from Manitoba eastward to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. In the eastern US the range extends from Maine southward to northern Georgia and central Alabama, and westward to central Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa and eastern Minnesota. It appears to be absent or rare in the southeastern Coastal Plain. Isolated populations have been found in California, Colorado and Texas that may reflect introductions. In North Carolina, populations are largely restricted to the Blue Ridge and Piedmont. As of 2023 we have only one record from the 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) 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. Adults have been recorded from April through December in different parts of the range, with a peak from August through October depending on the location. As of 2023, our records are from mid-July to early November, with a seasonal peak in September and October.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Populations are dependent on hardwoods as a food source. They occur in a variety of habitats ranging from wooded residential neigborhoods to hardwood and mixed pine-hardwood forests.

Larval Host Plants: The larvae are highly polyphagous and feed on numerous hardwoods (Prentice, 1966; Chapman and Lienk, 1971; Baker, 1972; Clarke, 1941; Robinson et al., 2010; Marquis et al., 2019; Blair, 2023). The known hosts include Red Maple (Acer rubrum), Silver Maple (A. saccharinum), Sugar Maple (A. saccharum), Downy Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea), Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis), Paper Birch (B. papyrifera), hickories (Carya), including Pignut Hickory (C. glabra) and Mockernut Hickory (C. tomentosa), American Chestnut (Castanea dentata), Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida), Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa), hazelnuts (Corylus), hawthorns (Crataegus), American Beech (Fagus grandifolia), White Ash (Fraxinus americana), Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos), American Witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), Butternut (Juglans cinerea), Common Apple (Malus domestica), Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica), American Hop-hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana), Balsam Poplar (Populus balsamifera), Sweet Cherry (Prunus avium), Fire Cherry (P. pensylvanica), Black Cherry (P. serotina), pears (Pyrus), White Oak (Quercus alba), Chestnut Oak (Q. montana), Northern Red Oak (Q. rubra), Black Oak (Q. velutina), willows (Salix), American Mountain Ash (Sorbus americana), Common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris), American Basswood (Tilia americana), American Elm (Ulmus americana), Slippery Elm (U. rubra) and viburnums (Viburnum). In North Carolina, larvae have been recorded feeding on Black Cherry, Post Oak (Q. stellata), and American Basswood. - View

Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General 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: This is a common and widespread species that is apparently secure in the state.

Photo Gallery for Machimia tentoriferella - Gold-striped Leaftier Moth

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

	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-11-06 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-11-02 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-11-01 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-10-31 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-10-31 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-10-23 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-10-22 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-10-20 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2024-10-19 Graham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-10-13 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-10-13 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, Stephen Dunn, David George on 2024-10-08 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-10-07 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-10-06 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-10-05 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-10-02 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-09-24 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, Stephen Dunn, David George on 2024-09-12 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2023-11-10 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-10-28 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2023-10-19 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-10-13 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2023-10-09 Graham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-10-01 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-09-30 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-09-26 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Rich Teper on 2023-09-25 Caswell Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-09-23 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Avery Young on 2023-09-21 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-09-19 Madison Co. Comment: