Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFTortricidae Members:
Archips Members:
6 NC Records

Archips dissitana (Grote, 1879) - Boldly-marked Archips Moth

No image for this species.
Taxonomy
Superfamily: Tortricoidea Family: TortricidaeSubfamily: TortricinaeTribe: ArchipiniP3 Number: 620317.00 MONA Number: 3666.00
Comments: Archips is a large genus with species occurring worldwide. Most are found in Holarctic and temperate regions and they are well-represented in the Old World. North America has 26 species, including a few that are introduced.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Freeman (1958)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: This is a distinctive species with a boldly marked black-and-white forewing. The following description is based in part on that of Freeman (1958). The head, thorax, and ground of the forewing are pure white, and the forewing ground is overlain with several black marks. The wing base has a highly irregular black line that extends inward on the inner margin at about one-fifth, then angles -- often in stair-step fashion -- near the middle of the wing before angling again towards the wing base. A jagged, posteriorly-oblique black median band extends from the costa to the inner margin that usually has a spur that projects posteriorly from the sub dorsal region. Between the median band and the basal line there are usually one or two short, black striae on the inner margin. A semi-oval black costal spot is present at around three-fourth that often has one or two white dots within. The final mark is an irregular black band or patch that covers much of the subterminal region of the wing. The fringe is smoky black, and the hindwind uniformly smoky black with a similar colored fringe. The costal fold of the male is long and narrow, and has long scales on the posterior end.
Wingspan: 19-22 mm (Freeman, 1958)
Adult Structural Features: Freeman (1958) has images and descriptions of the male and female genitalia.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The larval life history has not been reported.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Archips dissitana is a northern species that is found in portions of the eastern US and southern Canada. In the US the range extends from Maine southwestward through the Appalachian region to western North Carolina, and westward through the Great Lakes region to Wisconsin and Minnesota. It occurs in Canada from Manitoba eastward to Nova Scotia. In North Carolina this species is restricted to higher elevations in the Blue Ridge. Populations in the southern Appalachians appear to be disjunct from the main range that occurs in the northern US and southern Canada.
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 observed from May through August in different areas of the range, with a seasonal peak in activity typically in July and August. As of 2023, all of our records are from July.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: This species is generally associated with spruce and fir forests.
Larval Host Plants: The host plants are largely undocumented, but boreal conifers are suspected based on the habitat preferences. Prentice (1966) reported a single rearing record of a Canadian specimen that fed on White Spruce (Picea glauca). - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S1S2]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: Populations in the southern Appalachians appear to constitute a southern disjunct from the main range in Canada and the northern US. They are typically associated with high-elevation spruce-fir forests in North Carolina.