Rhizedra lutosa (Noctuidae) and Argyrotaenia cockerellana (Tortricidae), are reported from Michigan for the first time, from remnant patches of mesic lakeplain prairie in Sumpter Township, Wayne Co. Rhizedra lutosa is a Eurasian species that is rapidly establishing populations across the United States. Argyrotaenia cockerellana is primarily known from the western United States, with eastern records from Nebraska and Ontario, Canada

Summerville, Keith S

English

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The Great Lakes Entomologist 
Volume 31 
Number 2 - Summer 1998 Number 2 - Summer 
1998 
Article 5 
June 1998 
Discovery of Two Moth Species New to Michigan (Lepidoptera: 
Noctuidae, Tortricidae) 
Keith S. Summerville 
Miami University 
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Tortricidae)," The Great Lakes Entomologist, vol 31 (2) 
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THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST1998 125 
DISCOVERY OF TWO MOTH SPECIES NEW TO MICHIGAN 
(LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE, TORTRICIDAE) 
Keith S. Summerville l , 2 
ABSTRACT 
Rhizedra lutosa (Noctuidae) and Argyrotaenia cockerellana (Tortricidae), 
are reported 
from Michigan for 
the first time, from remnant patches of mesic 
lakeplain prairie in Sumpter 
Township, 
Wayne Co. Rhizedra lutosa is a 
Eurasian 
species 
that is rapidly establishing populations across the United 
States. Argyrotaenia cockerellana is primarily known from the western United 
States, with eastern 
records from 
Nebraska and Ontario, Canada. 
The Lepidoptera fauna of Michigan has been only moderately 
docu­
mented. Exceptions 
to 
this are the superfamilies Papilionoidea and Hesperi­
ioidea (butterflies and 
skippers). 
These groups tend to receive more attention 
due to their 
showiness, 
diurnal activity, and relat vely large size (Scott 1986). 
Most moth 
species, however, 
are more difficult to identity, tend to be noctur­
nal, and have 
a 
wider range in body size. Theref re, moths, in particular the 
Ditrysia 
(micro-moths), 
have yet to receive adequate state-wide attention. Al­
though the Michigan Lepidoptera Survey and the Michigan Natural Fea­
tures Inventory are striving to catalog 
Michigan's 
Lepidoptera, novel aspects 
of the state's fauna remain to be 
d scovered 
and documented. This paper de­
tails the iscovery of two moth species new to Michigan: Rhizedra lutosa 
(Hubner) (Noctuidae), and Argyrotaenia cockerellana (Kearfott) (Tortricidae). 
I will examine the significance of each state r cord and demonstrate that the 
discovery of each species holds different biological significance for Michigan's 
fauna. 
MATERIALS AND 
METHODS 
Both state records were 
collected 
on 7 October 1997 du ing an insect sur­
vey of mesic lakeplain prairie in Sumpter 
Township (Twp. 4S, Rge. 
BE, Sec 
27) located in Wayne Co., Michigan.This survey was conducted as part of a 
series of late-season moth surveys performed by the Michigan Chapter of 
The Nature Conservancy 
(TNC) 
and the Michigan Natural Features Inven­
tory 
(MNFI). Collecting 
was performed using mercury vapor light and black­
light bulbs at sheet stations 
from 
1930-0100 hr. The temperature remained 
above 10°C for the duration of the collecting period. Two stations were used, 
and each was placed in disjunct patches of 
mesic 
lakeplain prairie vegeta­
tion. 
1 The Nature Conservancy, East Lansing, MI 48826. 
2 Current Address: Institute of Environmental Sciences, Miami University, Oxford, 
OH45056. 
1
Summerville: Discovery of Two Moth Species New to Michigan (Lepidoptera: Noctu
Published by ValpoScholar, 1998
126 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST Vol. 31, No.2 
Surveyed patches contained a heterogenous mix of lakeplain prairie 
flora, and no attempt was made to quantify the vegetation. Dominant herba­
ceous species were visually estimated to be Andropogon gerardii (Vitman), 
Andropogon scoparius (Michaux), Pteridum aquilinum (L.), Liatris scariosa 
(L.) Willd., Lupinus perennis (L.), and Baptisia tinctoria (L.) R. Br. E ch 
patch 
was moderately 
large in size, and was completely surrounded by woody 
growth 
of 
Salix, Comus, and Quercus (shrubs and large trees). The soil in 
each patch was 
fairly sandy. Across 
the broader landscape, the lakeplain 
prairie 
community occurred 
within a matrix of agricultural and abandoned 
land 
(see Comer 
et aI., 1995 for a more complete historic and floristic analy­
sis of lakeplain prairies in Michigan). 
Lepidoptera specimens were taken with ethyl acetate by David Cuthrell 
of MNFI and myself. I collected both state record specimens and had all iden­
tifications verified by recognized authorities in the field. Examples of more 
common species are retained in my personal collection; however, both stat  
record vouchers have b en deposited in the Insect Collection at Michigan 
State 
University. 
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 
The majority of 
my collection from Sumpter Township consisted of fairly 
common species of fall Noctuidae, including Papaipema eupatorii (Lyman), 
Papaipema unimoda (Smith), Catocala concumbens (Walker), Metaxaglaea 
inulta (Grote), Agrotis ipsilon (Hufn.), and Eupsila tristigmata (Grote). Few 
Geometridae were observed, with the exception of Ennomos magnaria (Gn.), 
which was seen in numbers. 
Micro-moths 
were frequent visitors at our 
sheets, with the most 
common species 
being Atteva punctella (Cramer) 
[Yponmeutidae] and an unidentified Sparganoth s sp. [Tortricidael. All these 
species can be found in a variety of habitat contexts, including disturbed land 
and 
mid-seral communities. 
In addition to these common moths, however, I 
also collected one female Rhizedra lutosa and one female Argyrotaenia cock­
erellana. 
Rhizedra lutosa is a Noctuid moth of Eurasian origin, first documented 
in North 
America by McCabe 
and Schweitzer from collections in 1988-9 (Mc­
Cabe and Schweitzer 1991). These authors collected this species from New 
Jersey salt marshes near the 
Delaware Bay area. Dates 
of R. lutosa collec­
tion reported by McCabe and Schweitzer ranged from 30 September to 4 No­
vember. Subsequent to this discovery, R. lutosa has appeared in New York 
and 
Ohio (Mikkola 
and LaFontaine 1994; Metzler, pers. comm.). Thus, the 
discovery of th  species in Michigan represents a further range extension for 
this 
introduced species. Rhizedra lutosa is a moderate sized, whitish-ochreous colored moth that 
is known to 
feed 
in the stem base and rhizomes of Phragmites australis 
(Cav.) Steudel., the common reed (Skinner 1984). F eding damage appears as 
a blanching of the host plants leaves (McCabe and Schweitzer 1991). This 
species is known to overwinter in the egg stage (Skinner 1984). McCabe and 
Schweitzer (1991) provide genitalic and habitus plates, contrasting R. lutos  
to Ommatostola 
lintneri 
(Grote), with which R. lutosa may be confused. 
Rhizedra lutosa typically feeds within dense reed beds and it has been col­
lected at night resting on the stems of reeds and grasses. It ha  been de­
scribed as a very vagi Ie species by Skinner (1984). Thus, this moth may be 
collected at some distance from i s seasonal breeding sites. Such dispersal ca­
pacity also suggests that colonization of new patches of the o t plant will be 
rapid, and that this 
species should swiftly 
establish populations wherever 
2
The Great Lakes Entomologist, Vol. 31, No. 2 [1998], Art. 5
https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol31/iss2/5
1998 127THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST 
Phragmites australis is abundant. Indeed, collectors in western Michigan, In­
diana, and Wisconsin should anticipate finding this species in th  near fu­
ture. 
Argyrotaenia cockerellana is a small tortricid moth first described by 
Kearfott in 1907 from specimens collected in Colorado and New Mexico. Pow­
ell (1964) revised this species' taxonomy, a d extended its ra g  throughout 
most 
of 
the western arid states. Single records for A cockerellana exist for 
Nebraska and 
Ontario, 
Canada (Powell 1964). This moth is characterized by 
pale orange forewings i terrupted by white spots and some dark r shadings. 
The hindwing and the underside of both wings are white, ith a white fringe 
(Kearfott, 1907; keys, genitalic figures and habitus plates in Powell, 1964). 
This species was collected in number by Dodge (1957) on several Juniperus
species, and Powell (1964) asserts that A cockerellana is a cedar-associate, 
with 
a potentially convergent resemblance 
to other Juniperus-feeding Tortri­
cids, Argyrotaenia paiuteana (Powell) and Chonstoneura houstonana (Grote). 
Aside from these reports, lit le else has be n reported on the biology or ecol­
ogy of this species. 
The 
discovery 
of each of these species in Michigan has different implica­
tions for the biodiversity of Lepid within the state. Rhizedra lutosa is 
an exotic species; recently in to the United States and rapidly 
spreading 
westward. 
The presence of non-native species n ecosystems ha  
been linked to various ecological threats, including the disruption of natural 
functional dynamics, the extirpation of native biota from historic ranges, and 
the 
homogenization 
of global biodiversity (Price1997, Samways 1995). Of 
these three threats, 
I suggest 
that, in the absence of other information, t e 
latter is the 
most serious implication for 
R. lutosa. Mikkola et al. (1991) com­
piled a ist of 95 species of Holarctic Noctuidae, noting that 26 species should 
be 
considered exotic introductions 
resulting from human activity. If nearly a 
full 30% of Holarctic Noctuidae are non-native to our region, the distinctive­
ness and 
uniqueness of our biota have 
been seriously compromised. Other ex­
amples of introduced Lepidoptera species becoming established in Michigan 
abound (e.g., Thymelicuslineola (Ochs.) [Lepidoptera: Hesperiidael; Ostnnia 
nubilalis (Hubner) [Lepidoptera: Crambidae1. Although the tangible conse­
quences of spreading flora and fauna into habitats where they did not evolve 
are 
difficult 
to quantify, I would suggest that speaking of North American 
Noctuidae or Michigan Lepidoptera is becoming less meaningful. Rhizedra 
Zutosa may have a negligible negative impact on ecosystems in the United 
States, but its 
persistence within native systems suggests 
that the distinc­
tiveness of North American fauna is becoming increasingly blurred. It should 
be 
noted, however, 
that R. lutosa's apparent dietary restriction to Phragmites 
may represent a blessing for land managers. Phragmites australis tends to 
be an aggressive colonizer of wetland communities, and it would be interest­
ing to determine if R. lutosa has the potential to regulate or control the 
spread of this plant in the United 
States. In contrast 
to 
the implications of discovering an introduced species in 
Michigan, the discovery ofArgyrotaenia cockerellana in Michigan is a signifi­
cant 
documentation of 
the range of this species. This moth, which, from Pow­
ell's (1964) accounts, appears to be relatively common in the western U ited 
States, is rare east of the 
Mississippi River. 
The single Ontario record noted 
by Powell, and this Michigan record may demarcate an eastern range limit 
for this species. With so few records upon which to base hypotheses, it is dif­
ficult to determine the status of A cockerellana in Michigan. It is possible 
that the 
species 
is a permanent resident of the state, or it may erupt into 
Michigan during outbreak years of western populations. Within members of 
the 
Tortricidae, 
extreme demographic fluctuations are common, and other 
3
Summerville: Discovery of Two Moth Species New to Michigan (Lepidoptera: Noctu
Published by ValpoScholar, 1998
128 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST Vol. 31, No.2 
species of Argyrotaenia are known to have serious outbreak potential (e.g., A 
velutinana Walker). The deficiency in occurrence information for this species 
should prompt others t  s arch for this moth in Michigan and surrounding 
states. Due to their small 
size 
and taxonomic complexity, micro-moths have 
received the least attention of all lepidopteran groups. Further collecting f 
the 
sub-order Ditrysia 
is likely to genera e a wealth of new information at 
the state and 
regional levels. 
For example, Metzler and Z bold (1995) discov­
ered 
28 species 
of micro-moths new to Ohio by sampling just one tract of 
remnant 
prairie. 
It will be exciting o follow the future progress of the Michi­
gan 
Lepidoptera Survey 
as it continues to produce more information about 
the status and distribution of 
Michigan's Lepidoptera fauna. 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 
David 
Cuthrell helped collect Lepidoptera at the Wayne county site. Mo­
gens Nielsen kindly verified my specimen identifications. 
Dr. 
Dale 
Schweitzer and Michael Sabourin provided expert identifications for Rhize­
dra 
lutosa 
and Argyrotaenia cockerellana, spectively. Christopher 
Clampitt, 
Rick Sugg, 
Eric Metzler, and Mo Nielsen provided insightful com­
ments 
on 
earlier drafts of this manuscript. This work was made possible by 
The Nature 
Conservancy, Michigan Chapter, 
and I am grateful for the oppor­
tunity 
to 
broaden their knowledge of Michigan insects. 
LITERATURE CITED 
Comer, P., W. MacKinnon, M. Rabe, D. Cuthrell, M. Penskar, and D. Albert. 1995. A 
survey of lakeplain prairie in Michigan. Michigan Natural Features Inventory, Lans­
ing, Michigan, 47 pages. 
Dodge, H. R. 1957. Defoliating insects in the northern Rocky Mountains in 1955. 
Northwest 
Science, 31: 38-42. Kearfott, W. 
D. 1907. 
New North American Tortricidae. Trans. Am rican Entomo!. 
Soc., 33: 1-98. 
McCabe, T. and D. Schweitzer. 1991. Rhizedra lutosa (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) newly 
introduced into North America. EntomoL News, 102: 130-132. 
Metzler, E. and R. Ziebold. 1995. Twenty-eight species of moths new to Ohio from Huff­
man Prairie, 
Greene County (Lepidoptera). Ohio Jour. 
of Science, 95(3): 240-242. 
Mikkola, K. and J. D. LaFontaine. 1994. Recent introductions of riparian Noctuid 
moths 
from 
the Palaearctic region of North America, with the fIrst report of Apamea 
unanimis (Hubner) (Noctuidae: Amphipyrinae). Jour. Lepidop. Soc., 48: 121-127. 
Mikkola, K., J. D. LaFontaine, and V. S. Kononenko. 1991. Zoogeography of the Holarc­
tic species ofthe N octuidae (Lepidoptera): Importance of Beringian refuge. EntomoL 
Fennica., 2: 157-173. 
Powell, J. A. 1964. Biological and taxonomic studies on tortricine moths, with reference 
to the 
species of California. University 
of California publications in Entomology, Vol­
ume 
32, Berkley. 317 pages. 
Price, 
P. 1997. Insect Ecology, third edition. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York. 874 
pages. 
Samways, M. J. 1995. Insect conservation biology. Chapman Hall, London. 358 pages. 
Scott, J. 1986. The butterflies of North America: a natural history and field guide. 
Stanford University Press, Stanford, California. 583 pages. 
Skinner, B. 1984. Moths of the British Isles. Viking Press, London. 267 pages. 
4
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Discovery of Two Moth Species New to Michigan (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae, Tortricidae)

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Discovery of Two Moth Species New to Michigan (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae, Tortricidae)

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