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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Depressariidae Members:
Agonopterix alstroemeriana
Agonopterix argillacea
Agonopterix atrodorsella
Agonopterix canadensis
Agonopterix clemensella
Agonopterix curvilineella
Agonopterix eupatoriiella
Agonopterix flavicomella
Agonopterix hyperella
Agonopterix lythrella
Agonopterix pulvipennella
Agonopterix robiniella
Agonopterix senicionella
Agonopterix thelmae
Agonopterix unidentified species
Agonopterix walsinghamella
Antaeotricha albulella
Antaeotricha decorosella
Antaeotricha humilis
Antaeotricha leucillana
Antaeotricha osseella
Antaeotricha schlaegeri
Antaeotricha unidentified species
Bibarrambla allenella
Ethmia longimaculella
Ethmia trifurcella
Ethmia zelleriella
Eupragia hospita
Gonioterma mistrella
Machimia tentoriferella
Menesta melanella
Menesta tortriciformella
Nites maculatella
Pseuderotis obiterella
Psilocorsis cryptolechiella
Psilocorsis quercicella
Psilocorsis reflexella
Rectiostoma xanthobasis
Scythropiodes issikii
Semioscopis aurorella
Semioscopis merriccella
Semioscopis packardella
Psilocorsis
Members:
Psilocorsis cryptolechiella
Psilocorsis quercicella
Psilocorsis reflexella
51 NC Records
Psilocorsis cryptolechiella
(Chambers, 1872) - Black-fringed Leaftier Moth
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Gelechioidea
Family:
Depressariidae
Subfamily:
[Amphisbatinae]
Tribe:
[Amphisbatini]
P3 Number:
59a0260
MONA Number:
956.00
Comments:
Psilocorsis
is a small genus with around 15 described species and several undescribed forms. They range from southeastern Canada to northern South America, but appear to be absent from the West Coast (Hodges, 1974). Seven species occur in North America north of Mexico (Pohl et al., 2016), three of which have been recorded in North Carolina.
Species Status:
Hodges (1974) synonomized several forms which were treated as distinct species by Forbes (1923), Clarke (1941) and others with
Psilocorsis cryptolechiella
. These included
P. faginella
,
P. obsoletella
,
P. dubitatella
, and
P. cressonella
.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions:
Covell (1984); Leckie and Beadle (2018).
Online Resources:
MPG
,
BugGuide
,
iNaturalist
,
Google
,
BAMONA
,
GBIF
,
BOLD
Technical Description, Adults:
Chambers (1872); Clarke (1941); Hodges (1974)
Technical Description, Immature Stages:
Chambers (1872); Clarke (1941)
Adult Markings:
The following description is primarily based on descriptions in Forbes (1923), Clarke (1941), Hodges (1974). The head and thorax are dark yellowish brown and the labial palp is slender, strongly recurved, and pointed. The second segment of the labial palp is ochreous with a dark fuscous longitudinal stripe beneath, while the third segment is fuscous with a median and lateral longitudinal whitish stripe. The antenna is yellowish brown above with darker annulations. The head, thorax, and base of the forewing are reddish-orange and darker than the ground color of the rest of the forewing, which is pale yellow to orange. The forewing is striated with narrow, well-defined, elongated lines of dark brown. The scales of the forewing are somewhat reflective, producing a shimmering effect (Hodges, 1974). Chambers (1872) described the wings as "pale golden, with the lustre of 'watered' silk, produced by a multitude of transverse, narrow, wavy, dark brown lines". An adterminal line of dark spots is present that usually extends from the apex to about mid-way across the outer margin, where they either stop or become greatly reduced in size. The fringe is dark gray with a blackish marginal band at the base.
Psilocorsis quercicella
is similar in size and also has dark adterminal spots and a gray fringe. However, it lacks the narrow, long striations found in
P. cryptolechiella
, having more diffuse, somewhat elongated blotches that dust the forewing. In
P. quercicella
the dark suffusion of the forewing at two-thirds is usually in the form of a diffuse blotch that extends from the middle of the wing to the inner margin. In specimens where it extends beyond the middle, the costal portion is less developed. In
P. cryptolechiella
the region typically has a dark, diffuse band or dark dusting across the entire wing.
P. reflexella
is much larger than the other two species and usually has a darker ground color, a more poorly marked adterminal line, and a lighter, non-contrasting fringe.
Wingspan:
13-17 mm (Clarke, 1941).
Forewing Length:
5.5-7.5 mm (Hodges, 1974)
Adult Structural Features:
Clarke (1941) provides detailed descriptions of the male and female genitalia, which closely resemble those of
P. quercicella
. The latter can be distinguished from
P. cryptolechiella
by the cornuti, which consist of a patch of long spines. In
P. cryptolechiella
they consist of one long stout cornutus and a patch of very fine ones. In the female of
P. quercicella
the base of the ductus bursae is uniformly slender and very lightly sclerotized, In
P. cryptolechiella
it has two discrete sclerotized patches, one at the base and the other distad (Hodges, 1974). The hair pencil from the first abdominal segment of the male is strongly developed in both species (Clarke, 1941).
Adult ID Requirements:
Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development:
The larvae are leaftiers and create feeding shelters by binding two overlapping leaves together with silk. Marquis et al. (2019) reported that females in Missouri oviposit from May through September, with larvae present from May through October. There are two generations per year, and pupation occurs in the leaf litter. The larvae resemble those of
P. quercicella
, but only the first thoracic segment is dark on
P. cryptolechiella
, versus all three segments dark on
P. quercicella
(Clarke, 1941). The body is somewhat flattened, varies from greenish to yellowish, and the sides have two rows of small tubercles (Clemens, 1860). Marquis et al. (2019) provide details about how to distinguish the larvae from other species that look very similar.
Larvae ID Requirements:
Identifiable from close inspection of specimens or by DNA analysis.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
Psilocorsis cryptolechiella
occurs throughout much of the eastern US. and in adjoining areas of southern Canada (Manitoba; Ontario; Quebec; New Brunswick; Nova Scotia). In the US, the range extends from the northeastern states westward to Illinois, eastern Kansas, central Oklahoma, and eastern Texas, and southward to the Gulf Coast and northern Florida. As of 2020, our records extend from coastal forests to lower elevations in the mountains. Populations are well represented in the Coastal Plain and eastern Piedmont, but less so farther west.
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
Flight Comments:
Hodges (1974) noted that most local populations appear to be bivoltine, with the first brood in mid-spring to late-spring, and a second in mid-summer. As of 2020, we have records from early May through mid-September. The Piedmont populations show evidence of being bivoltine, but sample sizes are too small in the remaining provinces to assess seasonal broods.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
The larvae are polyphagous and feed on a variety of hardwoods, particularly oaks (Marquis et al., 2019). Many of our records come from wooded residential neighborhoods, and a few are from rich upland hardwood slopes in the mountains. Local populations can be expected in a variety of other habitats that support hardwood forests.
Larval Host Plants:
The larvae are polyphagous and utilized a variety of hardwood trees. The principal host plants are various species of oaks (Hodges, 1974; Marquis et al., 2019), but the larvae also feed to a lesser extent on other hardwoods is different areas of the range (Robinson et al. (2010). These include Yellow Birch (
Betula alleghaniensis
), Paper Birch (
B. papyrifera
), Gray Birch (
B. populifolia
), Pecan (
Carya illinoinensis
), American Beech (
Fagus grandifolia
), Northern Bayberry (
Morella pensylvanica
), Black Locust (
Robinia pseudoacacia
) and American Chestnut (
Castanea dentata
). Oaks that are used include White Oak (
Quercus alba
), Shingle Oak (
Q. imbricaria
), Overcup Oak (
Quercus lyrata
), Chinquapin Oak (
Q. muehlenbergii
), Post Oak (
Q. stellata
), Black Oak (
Q. velutina
) and Northern Red Oak (
Quercus rubra
). -
View
Observation Methods:
The adults are attracted to lights. We have little data on the host plants that are used in North Carolina, so we encourage naturalists to search for the leaf-bound nests on oaks, beeches and other hosts.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for
General Hardwood Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks:
GNR [S3S5]
State Protection:
Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:
Too little is currently known about the distribution, habitat associations, and host plant range to make any estimate about this species conservation status in North Carolina.
Photo Gallery for
Psilocorsis cryptolechiella
- Black-fringed Leaftier Moth
41 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-08
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-08
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-07-08
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-06-23
Yancey Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-06-23
Yancey Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-05-10
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-05-10
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-05-10
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-04-29
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-04-18
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-10
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-03
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: John Petranka on 2023-05-16
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-07-14
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-06-02
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-05-27
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-05-20
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-05-20
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-05-04
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2021-08-11
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2021-05-20
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Steve Hall on 2020-07-22
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Steve Hall on 2020-06-02
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-06-01
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-05-28
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Steve Hall on 2020-05-24
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-05-16
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2020-05-10
Onslow Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-08-21
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-08-11
Guilford Co.
Comment: