Moths of North Carolina
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18 NC Records

Sparganothis xanthoides (Walker, 1863) - Mosaic Sparganothis Moth

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Tortricoidea Family: TortricidaeSubfamily: TortricinaeTribe: SparganothiniP3 Number: 620398.00 MONA Number: 3706.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Powell and Brown (2012)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Eiseman (2022)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Sparganothis xanthoides is a strongly dimorphic species. The following description is mostly based on that of Powell and Brown (2012). The head, palps, and antennae are reddish-brown and the thorax yellowish. In the male the forewing ground color is straw yellow and often has scattered light brown striae throughout. The most conspicuous mark is a contrasting, oblique, diffuse brown blotch from the dorsal margin that is about two-thirds the distance from the base to the tornus. The blotch is well defined along the inner edge and diffuse along the outer. A smaller, diffuse costal patch of the same color is present at around three-fourths, and there is a variably developed dark spot just below the costa at about two-fifths the distance from the base to the apex. A faint line of gently curved dark dots is sometimes present that extends from the subapical costal patch to the subtornal region. In the female the forewing is darker overall and often reticulated, and the pattern is similar but usually obscured by dense orangish-brown overscaling. In most specimens the blotch from the dorsal margin is extremely weak and extends to the costa about one-third the distance from the base to the apex in the form of a narrow, darker brownish line. The hindwing varies from white to brownish-white and sometimes has faint transverse striations.
Forewing Length: 8.5–9.1 mm for males and 9.5–11.5 mm for females (Powell and Brown, 2012).
Adult Structural Features: Powell and Brown (2012) have illustrations and detailed descriptions of the male and female genitalia.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Eiseman (2022) found larvae in Missouri feeding on Wild Blue Phlox. They first mined the leaves, then fed externally between tied leaves. The larvae initially formed irregular, more or less elongate leaf mines that were full-depth and transparent. The mines had a hole in the upper epidermis at one end from which all frass was expelled. After about three weeks of feeding, the larvae abandoned their mines and continued to feed among tied leaves. At least one captive larva pupated between August 17 and 22 and emerged as an adult between September 4 and 7, and the last adult emerged on September 30. This species appears to be univoltine. Under natural conditions overwintering probably occurs as larvae or pupae, with the adults emerging after the spring leaf-out.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Sparganothis xanthoides has boreal and cool temperate affinities. It is broadly distributed across southern Canada from the Northwest Territories and British Columbia eastward to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Populations occur in the eastern US from Maine westward through the Great Lakes region to Minnesota and eastern North Dakota, and southward mostly through the Appalachian region to Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Populations occur in the West primarily in mountainous regions in the Rockies, California, and the Pacific Northwest. As of 2023, our records are mostly from lower elevations in the Blue Ridge, with two records from the Piedmont.
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 mostly fly from May through August in different areas of the range, but have been found as early as February and as late as December. As of 2023, our records range from early June through mid-August, with local populations appearing to be univoltine.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: The preferred habitats are poorly documented. In North Carolina we have records from meadows, mesic forests, and semiwooded residential areas.
Larval Host Plants: The hosts are poorly documented, but include Common Bird's-foot-trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) and Wild Blue Phlox (Phlox divaricata; Ridgway and Gyrisco, 1959; Robinson et al., 2010; Eiseman, 2022). - View
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S3-S4]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: This species appears to be secure in the Blue Ridge, but additional information is needed on host use, preferred habitats, and abundance before we can accurately assess its conservation status.

 Photo Gallery for Sparganothis xanthoides - Mosaic Sparganothis Moth

Photos: 4

Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-31
Macon Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Richard Teper on 2021-07-22
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-07-12
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2018-06-18
Yancey Co.
Comment: