Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGlyphidoceridae Members: Glyphidocera Members: 67 NC Records

Glyphidocera democratica Meyrick, 1929 - No Common Name

Glyphidocera democraticaGlyphidocera democraticaGlyphidocera democraticaGlyphidocera democratica
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Gelechioidea		 Family:
Glyphidoceridae		Subfamily:
[Glyphidocerinae]		Tribe:
[Glyphidocerini]		P3 Number:
59a0016		 MONA Number:
1137.00
Comments: Glyphidocera is a large but poorly studied genus with numerous undescribed species in the Neotropics, where they reach their greatest diversity. Adamski (2005) described 88 new species from Costa Rica alone. There are currently 11 described species in North America, and seven species in North Carolina. They are small to medium-sized moths and, with rare exceptions, vary from pale yellowish brown to dark brown. Most have few, if any, diagnostic markings on the wings. Host associations are unknown for almost all species, which suggests that they may be detritivores or fungivores that do not feed on living plants.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Meyrick (1929)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The following is based in part on the description by Meyrick (1929). The palps are strongly recurved and reach backwards almost to the thorax. The head, thorax, labial palps, and forewings are brownish to ocherous. The antenna is tan with obscure darker annulations, and the notch is deep, with a scale-tooth beneath. The forewing has thinly sprinkled dark brown to blackish scales throughout. A heavy dusting of black scales is present on the termen and fringe, and sometimes on the basal third of the wing. A large blackish spot is present just before one-half the wing length near the middle, and a second smaller spot at about two-thirds. The first spot is often elongated and somewhat oblique. The cilia are pale gray to grayish black, with two obscure shades of gray. The hindwings is light gray, and the cilia are pale gray with a darker sub-basal shade.

Glyphidocera democratica resembles several other Glyphidocera in terms of the overall brownish appearance and spot pattern. This species tends to be darker than most others and has a heavy dusting of black scales near the end of the forewing. In addition, the first dark-brown spot tends to be elongated, slightly oblique, and noticeably larger than the second spot.
Wingspan: 16-18 mm (Meyrick, 1929)
Forewing Length: approximately 8 mm (J.B. Sullivan)
Genitalia and other structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The larval life history is undocumented.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Glyphidocera democratica is found in the eastern US, and primarily in the Southeast. The range extends from Maryland and vicinity, southward to southern Florida, and westward to central Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Illinois. As of 2021, our records are mostly from the Piedmont, with one record from a lower elevation site in the mountains, and a second from the southern Coastal Plain.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Glyphidocera democraticaAlamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey
Flight Dates:
High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
Piedmont (Pd)
Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: adults.