Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Tortricidae Members:	Ancylis Members:	72 NC Records

Ancylis comptana of authors (not Frölich, 1828) - Strawberry Leaffolder Moth

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Tortricoidea

Family:
Tortricidae

Subfamily:
Olethreutinae

Tribe:
Enarmoniini

P3 Number:
51a0662.1

MONA Number:
3374.00

MONA Synonym:
Ancylis comptana

Comments: The genus Ancylis contains around 130 described species that occur worldwide. The exact number of species in North America is uncertain due to several unresolved species complexes, but is around 35 species.

Species Status: Ancylis comptana occurs in both North America and Europe and likely represents a species complex. There are currently seven recognized BINS in BOLD that reflect evolutionary lineages within the group. Gilligan et al. (2020) noted that there are four main BINS and that members of the North American BINs are distinct from those of three other BINS in Europe. There are also additional lineages within North America that may reflect a species complex. Ancylis comptana was originally described from Germany, so the North American forms in the eastern US appear to constitute a separate, unnamed species or species complex. Here, we refer to all of the members of this species complex that are in North America as 'Ancylis comptana of authors' until detailed studies of the systematic status of these can be completed.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions:

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

Technical Description, Adults: Forbes (1923)

Technical Description, Immature Stages: Fink (1932); MacKay (1959)

Adult Markings: The following description is based in part on that of Forbes (1923). The vertex and antennae are brown and the face and palps dull white to tan. The forewing has a conspicuous brown basal patch that extends along the inner margin from the wing base to near the middle of the inner margin. The patch is smooth-edged and extends inward to about two-thirds the wing depth before being replaced by a tan costal band. The rear edge of the band is margined with a line of white scales that is preceded by a thin blackish shade. Immediately behind this is an area of powdery gray scales that adjoin the white margin and extend posteriorly through a region of brown scales in a broadly sinuous fashion all the way to the tornal region. Linear arrays of gray scales are also present in the subcostal region on the outer third where they act to delineate a group of elongated brown bands with pale edges that project towards the outer margin. The most prominent of these is a long brown band that extends from the near the middle of costa and tapers to a point just before the concavity in the outer margin. The fringe is light brown and is cut with two white streaks just before the apex. The hindwing is smoky grayish to grayish brown and has a concolorous fringe.

Forewing Length: 4.5-7.0 mm (Gilligan et al., 2008)

Adult Structural Features: Gilligan et al. (2008) have illustrations of the male and female genitalia.

Structural photos

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

Immatures and Development: Members of the Ancylis comptana complex were major pests on commercial strawberries in the late 1800s and early 1900s, but they are less so today with modern control mechanisms. Earlier works by Dunnam (1927), Fink (1932), and others have detailed accounts of the life history, and the following is a brief summary based on that of Renkema (2022). Larvae from the fall generation overwinter and pupate as conditions warm in the spring. After the adults emerge and mate, the females lay eggs singly on the undersides of strawberry leaves or other host plants. The first instar spins a silky funnel-shaped covering near the base of the leaf between two prominent veins and skeletonizes the leaf tissue in the immediate vicinity. The protective sheet of silk is enlarged as the larva grows, and the larvae may move and start a second shelter on the same leaf. The later instars move to the tops of leaves and fold and roll them to form larger feeding shelters. When mature, the final instar pupates within the leaf shelter. The average duration of the entire larval period is around 24 days and the pupal period is 6–18 days. Most populations have two or three generations per year, with larvae in the final generation overwintering. The mature larvae can reach 12 mm in length and have a yellowish-brown head capsule and thoracic shield and a light grayish-brown or yellowish-green body.

Bennett (1961) studied this species in Tennessee where it fed on commercial strawberries. Eggs were laid on the undersides of leaves and required 3-12 days to hatch depending on the time of year. The life cycle was similar to that described by Renkema (2022) and there were four broods per year, with the larvae from the last overwintering.

Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: As currently recognized, the range of the A. comptana complex in North America encompasses a broad area that includes much of the eastern US, portions of California, the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and southern Canada from British Columbia to Prince Edward Island. In the US the range extends from Maine to southern Florida and westward to central Texas, central Oklahoma, Missouri, and Illinois. This species occurs statewide, but is relatively uncommon in the Blue Ridge.

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: Local populations typically have two or three broods per year. Adults have been observed during every month of the year at southern latitudes, but are generally most active from April through September in areas farther north. As of 2022, our records extend from late-March through early September.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Local populations are found in partially shaded to more open habitats that support the host plants such as strawberries and blackberries.

Larval Host Plants: The larvae mostly feed on members of the Rosaceae (Heinrich, 1923; Heppner, 2007; Robinson et al, 2010). The reported hosts include Mountain Avens (Dryas octopetala), cultivated strawberry (Fragaria spp.), cinquefoils (Potentilla spp.), roses (Rosa spp.), blackberries and raspberries (Rubus spp.), and Salad Burnet (Sanguisorba minor). Other reported hosts that are not members of the Rosaceae include Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis), goldenrods (Solidago spp.), and germander (Teucrium). We do not have any feeding records in North Carolina. - View

Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights and the larvae can be found in leaf rolls on strawberries, blackberries, and other host plants.

Wikipedia

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S3S4

State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.

Comments:

Photo Gallery for Ancylis comptana of authors - Strawberry Leaffolder Moth

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

	Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2025-08-22 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-20 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-20 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-07-16 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-07-16 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, David Bradley, Becky Watkins, David Cheng, Michelle Lotker, Tracy Feldman, et al. on 2025-06-28 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-03 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-03 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-04-05 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-27 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-14 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-14 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-10-23 Carteret Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Stefanie Hedrick on 2024-08-29 Union Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-07-08 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-26 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Hunter Phillips on 2024-06-14 Onslow Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-14 Scotland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-06-07 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-04-19 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George on 2024-04-10 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-04-10 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, David George on 2024-03-31 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-03-07 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-03-07 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-09-04 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George on 2023-08-25 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-08-18 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-13 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-09 Orange Co. Comment: