Moths of North Carolina
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Fumibotys Members:
10 NC Records

Fumibotys fumalis (Guenée, 1854) - Mint Root Borer Moth

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Pyraloidea Family: CrambidaeSubfamily: PyraustinaeTribe: PyraustiniP3 Number: 801424.00 MONA Number: 4950.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Munroe (1976)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The following is based in part on the descriptions by Forbes (1923) and Munroe (1976). The body of this species is fairly robust and the forewing is wider than that of our Ostrinia species, with the costa strongly arched at the base. The ground varies from fawn-colored to a darker smoky brown or chocolate brown. The antemedial and postmedial lines are dark and rather narrow, but strongly contrast with the ground. The antemedial is smoothly curved outward and only slightly irregular, while the postmedial in bowed and weakly dentate from the costa to about two-thirds the wing depth, where it then straightens and angles sharply to the inner margin. The reniform spot is linear and slightly curved, but is often obscured by a smudged blackish patch that is present between the antemedial and postmedial lines. The outer margin is straight anteriorly, then curves posteriorly to the tornus. The terminal line is narrow, but usually well defined, and the fringe is concolorous with the forewing ground.

The hindwing is lighter and grayer than the forewing, with a slightly wavy postmedial line that parallels the outer margin. A narrow terminal line is present that resembles that of the forewing, and the fringe is concolorous with the ground of the hindwing.
Wingspan: 22 mm (Forbes, 1923).
Adult Structural Features: Munroe (1976) has detailed descriptions of the male and female genitalia, which are both very distinctive, along with an illustration of the male genitalia.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Fumibotys fumalis can be a significant pest in California and the Pacific Northwest where Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) is grown commercially. The following life history summary is based on that of Berry (1974) and Tollerup et al. (2013) for this general region. This species overwinters in the soil as a prepupa then pupates in the spring. In western Oregon, the adults begin emerging in June and the females mate on the mint plants. The eggs are laid in masses on both the lower and upper leaves, and hatching occurs after 9-10 days. The hatchlings feed for 4-5 days on the leaves, then drop to the soil and bore into a rhizome and feed. The larvae typically feed in the rhizomes for 70-80 days before they begin leaving the rhizomes to construct hibernacula in the soil. The larvae feed at multiple sites by moving through the soil from damaged to undamaged rhizomes, and only a single generation is produced each year. Feeding during the growing season can result in patches of stunted and dead plants in cultivated fields. This species presumably feeds on native mints, but very little is known about the use of native species in North America.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Fumibotys fumalis is a wide-ranging species that occurs across southern Canada from British Columbia to Prince Edward Island, and throughout a large portion of the U.S. It is most common in an area that extends from the New England states to northern Virginia, and westward through West Virginia, Ohio, Michigan and Ohio. Populations are more scattered in the remainder of the range that includes Florida, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois, and the Great Plains states from eastern Texas to Nebraska. Populations are also known from Colorado, California, the Pacific Northwest and Montana. As of 2023, most of our records are from the Piedmont and lower elevations in the Blue Ridge, with one record from the Sandhills.
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 fly from May through November in different areas of the range, with a seasonal peak typically in July through September. As of 2023, our records range from late-August through late-September.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: As of 2023, we have only 10 records, with most from relatively natural settings. Habitats where this species has been recorded in North Carolina include a stand of mesic hardwoods in the Blue Ridge, an area of mesic hardwoods located on the slopes around a reservoir in the Piedmont, and in from the edge of a blackwater floodplain in the Fall-line Sandhills.
Larval Host Plants: The larvae feed on the rhizomes of mints. The only documented host is Peppermint (Mentha x piperita), which is an exotic species that is grown commercially. Native species in the mint family are also presumably used, but we currently have no information regarding which native species serve as hosts. - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S2S3
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
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 Photo Gallery for Fumibotys fumalis - Mint Root Borer Moth

Photos: 4

Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-09-20
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-09-04
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2023-08-28
Transylvania Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2022-09-25
Orange Co.
Comment: