Moths of North Carolina
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Acleris Members:
6 NC Records

Acleris variana (Fernald, 1886) - Eastern Black-headed Budworm Moth

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Tortricoidea Family: TortricidaeSubfamily: TortricinaeTribe: TortriciniP3 Number: 620049.00 MONA Number: 3548.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Immature Stages: Gilligan and Epstein (2014)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Acleris variana has many highly variable color morphs (see MPG for representative examples). Many of the color forms have prominent reddish or orangish longitudinal bands that are margined with white scales, while others have transverse whitish or grayish bands that contrast with the general ground color. Still others may be nearly pure white or have a combination of heavy whitish mottling on the basal half, along with a longitudinal band. The few records that we have as of 2024 are predominantly reddish forms with a reddish longitudinal stripe that is margined with white scales. We have one example of a specimen with transverse whitish bands that contrast with a blackish ground color. For identification purposes, the best approach may be to visit MPG, BugGuide and iNaturalist to find a phenotypic match.
Forewing Length: 7.5-9.5 mm (Gilligan and Epstein, 2014).
Adult Structural Features: Gilligan and Epstein (2014) provide illustrations of the male and female genitalia.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Acleris variana is a significant forest pest in eastern Canada where it primarily attacks Balsam Fir, but also uses White Spruce, Red Spruce and Black Spruce (Miller, 1966). The larvae have periodic outbreaks every 10-15 years and can defoliate most of the current year’s shoots. The following description of the life history is based primarily on that of Gilligan and Epstein (2014) and Miller (1966), who studied this species in eastern Canada.

Females typically lay their eggs singly on the undersides of the needles of the host tree from mid-August to mid-September. The eggs overwinter and hatch the following May or June. The first-instar larvae require new foliage and feed inside the new shoots at the base of the needles, while the second and third instars commonly web together and feed on needles on the growing shoot. Miller (1966) noted that the needles of a single shoot are sufficient to maintain one larva during the first three instars. The fourth and fifth instars frequently web two current shoots together to form a feeding site and shelter. The larvae pupate in the feeding shelters or in a group of webbed leaves, with the pupal stage lasting around 2-3 weeks. The first adults appear in early August, with egg-laying typically occurring from mid-August to mid-September. The older larvae are approximately 11-15 mm in length and are bright green with a black head. The final instar is similar, except that the head and prothoracic shield turn brown. An anal comb is present with 6-10 teeth (Gilligan and Epstein, 2014).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Acleris variana is generally associated with cool climates. The range includes Alaska and portions of central and southern Canada, including the Yukon and Northwest Territories, and a broad swath from British Columbia eastward to New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. In the U.S., the range extends from the New England states westward across the Great Lakes region to Minnesota and eastern North Dakota, and southward mostly through the Appalachian regions of West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee. Isolated records are also known from central Mississippi, Montana and central California. As of 2024, our records are all from middle to higher-elevation sites in the Blue Ridge, including Mt. Mitchell.
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 have been found from May through October in different areas of the range, with the peak seasonal activity typically in August and September. As of 2024, our records extend from mid-July through mid-October.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Our records as of 2024 are from mesic, middle- to high-elevation sites that support conifers such as hemlocks, spruce and fir.
Larval Host Plants: The larvae feed primarily on spruces and firs but also use other taxa such as hemlocks (Forbes, 1923; McDunnough, 1934; Keen, 1952; Schaffner, 1959; Powell, 1964; Prentice, 1966; Maier et al., 2004; Brown et al., 2008; Gilligan and Epstein, 2014). The reported hosts include Amabilis Fir (Abies amabalis), Balsam Fir (A. balsamea), Grand Fir (A. grandis), Alpine Fir (A. lasiocarpa), Tamarack (Larix laricina), Western Larch (L. occidentalis), Norway Spruce (Picea abies), Engelmann Spruce (P. engelmannii), White Spruce (P. glauca), Black Spruce (P. mariana), Colorado Spruce (P. pungens), Red Spruce (P. rubens), Sitka Spruce (P. sitchensis), Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), Western Hemlock (T. heterophylla), Mountain Hemlock (T. mertensiana) and Western Redcedar (Thuja plicata). The hosts have not been documented for North Carolina, but Eastern Hemlock and Red Spruce are the most likely candidates. - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for Montane Cool Mesic Conifer Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S1S3]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: This species seems to reach its southern limits in the southern Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee and appears to be rare in the state. As of 2024, we have only four site records, including Mt. Mitchell.

 Photo Gallery for Acleris variana - Eastern Black-headed Budworm Moth

Photos: 4

Recorded by: tom ward on 2021-10-10
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: tom ward on 2021-10-10
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: B. Bockhahn, P. Scharf on 2014-08-26
Yancey Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: M.G. Pogue on 2003-10-11
Haywood Co.
Comment: Creative Commons: BY 3.0 DEED Attribution 3.0 Unported.