Moths of North Carolina
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Argyrotaenia Members:
4 NC Records

Argyrotaenia ivana (Fernald, 1901) - Ivana Leafroller Moth

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Taxonomy
Superfamily: Tortricoidea Family: TortricidaeSubfamily: TortricinaeTribe: ArchipiniP3 Number: 620286.00 MONA Number: 3627.00
Comments: The genus Argyrotaenia contains approximately 100 described species, with most occurring in Nearctic and Neotropical regions. Thirty-six species are currently recognized in North America.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Fernald (1901)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: This species is sexually dimorphic and poorly described, with the original description based on a single male in the U.S. National Museum by Fernald (1901). In the male, the head, thorax, and ground color of the forewing are a dingy pale brown. The ground color of the forewing is overlain with several darker marks, the first being an often irregularly shaped dark costal blotch near the base of the wing that in some instances can extend to the middle of the wing or beyond. The most conspicuous mark is a wide, oblique, dark band at about one-third that extends about two-thirds of the way across the wing. This is followed by a dark subapical, triangular, costal patch at about three-fourths. A smaller dark irregular spot is usually present just beyond the tip of the costal patch and near the middle of the wing. The fringe is concolorous with the ground color of the wing, and the hindwing varies from light gray to light brown. The female is generally similar, but lacks both the basal blotch and the dark irregular spot that is found beyond the tip of the triangular costal patch.
Wingspan: ca. 12 mm (Fernald, 1901).
Immatures and Development: Heppner and Habeck (1976) noted that the larvae are leaf rollers and feed on leaves, but most aspects of the larval life history when feeding on native hosts are undocumented. Individuals that they reared had a larval period of 13-24 days and a pupal stage of 4-13 days.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Argyrotaenia ivana occurs statewide in Florida. Elsewhere, it occurs in coastal areas from eastern Texas eastward to South Carolina, then northward to as far as Rhode Island.
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)

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Flight Comments: Adults have been observed throughout the year in Florida and from May-November from South Carolina northward. As of 2022, our limited records are all from May and June.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Over its range, this species occurs in sandy, xeric sites to coastal wetlands. Our small number of records all come from sites within or close to brackish marshes.
Larval Host Plants: Bigleaf Marsh-elder (Iva frutescens) is thought to be an important natural host, and fits with the tidewater locations where this species has been found in North Carolina. However, Heppner (2003) and Heppner and Habeck (1976) reported numerous other taxa, most of which are crop species or are otherwise not native in our region. These include Celery (Apium graveolens var. dulce), a columbine (Aquilegia sp.), an Asparagus sp., a hawthorn (Crataegus sp.), grapefruit (Citrus paradiisi), oranges (C. sinensis), a geranium (Geranium sp.), Fragrant Rabbit-tobacco (Gnaphalium obtusifolium), Parrot-feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum), Dense-flower Smartweed (Persicaria densiflora), Dotted Smartweed (P. punctata), a rose (Rosa sp.), a willow (Salix sp.), and a goldenrod (Solidago sp.). The larvae can become pests in citrus groves in Florida where they sometimes disfigure the fruits (Bullock et al., 1997). - View
Observation Methods: We have only a few records and all are based on adults that were attracted to lights. Detailed information is needed on host use in North Carolina and elsewhere.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for Salt and Brackish Marshes
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S2S3
State Protection:
Comments: This species appears to be uncommon to rare in North Carolina and generally restricted to the tidewater region of the state.