Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Tortricidae Members:	Corticivora Members:	37 NC Records

Corticivora clarki Clarke, 1951 - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Tortricoidea

Family:
Tortricidae

Subfamily:
Olethreutinae

Tribe:
Grapholitini

P3 Number:
51a1273.50n

MONA Number:
3446.00

Comments: This is one of three congeneric species that are found in North America north of Mexico (Brown, 1994).

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions:

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

Technical Description, Adults: Clarke (1951)

Adult Markings: The following is based in part on the description by Clarke (1951). The head and palps vary from creamy white to dull white and the antenna is dark grayish fuscous with paler annulations. The thorax and ground color of the forewing vary from ashy gray to brownish gray. The ground of the forewing is overlain with three conspicuous darker bands (fasciae) that vary from dark brown to grayish brown. The first is a wide sub-basal band at about one-fourth that extends from the inner margin to the costa and is slightly angulated outwardly on the outer margin, while the second is a slightly curved median band that extends from the inner margin to the costa and bulges towards the middle, particularly on the outer margin. The third mark is a narrower, incomplete, subterminal band or blotch that extends from the subapical region of the costa and terminates near the middle of the wing. A thin, irregular line of similar color is usually present in the interfascial area between the sub-basal and median band -- and between the median and subterminal band -- and the termen often has dark dusting along its margin. The fringe is lead-colored with a narrow black, sub-basal line, and the hindwing is light grayish fuscous with a paler fringe that has a thin, lighter basal line. The legs are creamy white and suffused and banded with grayish fuscous.

Eucosma gomonana is somewhat similar but has sub-basal and median bands that become very narrow towards the costa. Corticivora parva is also similar, but the sub-basal band is not noticeably angulated, the median band lacks the bulge on the posterior margin, and the subterminal blotch is poorly developed.

Wingspan: 10-11 mm (Clarke, 1951).

Forewing Length: 4.0-5.5 mm (Gilligan et al., 2008)

Adult Structural Features: Gilligan et al. (2008) have illustrations of the male and female genitalia. In males, the cucullus is narrow with strong, long setae along the ventral edge, while the sacculus is broad and lacks spine clusters (Clarke, 1951). The socii are well-developed, fleshy, haired pads and the uncus is absent. The aedeagus is broad and flattened dorsally, with the distal two-thirds abruptly narrowed, cylindrical, and pointed. In females, the signa are conical and studded with sharp scobinate-dentate processes, and the posterior portion of ductus bursae is lightly sclerotized and slender.

Structural photos

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

Immatures and Development: Larvae are reported to feed on the bark of pines, but details of the larval life history are unreported.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Corticivora clarki is found in portions of southern Canada (Ontario; Quebec; New Brunswick) and in the eastern US from Maine and other New England states westward through the Great Lakes region to Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Nebraska. From there, the range extends southward to Arkansas, Northeastern Texas, Tennessee, Alabama, Virginia, and North Carolina. As of 2022, our records are all from the eastern Piedmont and 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
Flight Comments: The adults fly from May through July, with a seasonal peak in June and July. As of 2022, our records range from late-May through mid-June.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Local populations are generally associated with pine or mixed pine-hardwood forests.

Larval Host Plants: Red Pine (Pinus resinosa) is the only known host (Clarke, 1951), but other pines are likely used in North Carolina. - View

Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.

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 Corticivora clarki - None

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

	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-05-24 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin on 2025-05-24 Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-05-24 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George on 2025-05-16 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka, John Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-09 Cumberland Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, John Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-09 Cumberland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Brian Bockhahn, Jim Petranka, John Petranka, Becky Elkin on 2025-05-09 Cumberland Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka, Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-08 Harnett Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka, Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-08 Harnett Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka, Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-08 Harnett Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-12 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-10 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2024-05-20 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Rich Teper on 2024-05-13 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-07-07 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2023-06-18 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2023-06-18 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-16 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-06 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-03 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2023-06-02 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2023-05-29 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2023-05-18 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-05-17 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2023-05-17 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-06-12 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2022-06-07 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2022-06-04 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson, Stephen Dunn on 2022-06-04 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-05-29 Durham Co. Comment: