Native
Eucosma parmatana (Clemens) (Tortricidae: Olethreutinae: Eucosmini)
Common name: aster Eucosma moth
Synonyms: alterana (Thiodia), crispana (Steganoptycha), kennebecana (Epinotia), marmontana (Proteopteryx), perfuscana (Thiodia), sinestrigana (Thiodia)
FWL: 4.5-7.0 mm (males); 5.5-7.0 mm (females)
Head, thorax brown, suffused with red-brown scales in some individuals; ground color of forewing dark brown with cream-white area around ocellusocellus:
forewing pattern element - an ovoid region anterior to the tornus; adult head - a simple insect "eye" located dorsal to the compound eye 
; costal strigulaecostal strigulae:
small, usually pale, semirectangular marks along the costa 
white, often faint; interfascial spot white, variable, ranging from large and conspicuous to nearly obsolete; male without forewing costal foldforewing costal fold:
a flap or fold at the base of the forewing that contains specialized sex scales
; hindwing pale gray to brown.
Male genitalia are characterized by a nearly obsolete uncusuncus:
a sclerotized process which is fused to the posterodorsal margin of tergum IX
; sociisocii:
a pair of lightly sclerotized setose lobes
long, slender; valvaevalvae:
plural of "valva"
with deep basal excavation, narrow neck; and a well-developed cuculluscucullus:
the distal portion of the male valva
. Female genitalia are characterized by a rectangular lamella postvaginalis, slightly constricted medially to produce a broad, hourglass-like shape; and two horn-like signasigna:
plural of "signum"
in the corpus bursaecorpus bursae:
a dilated membranous sac at the anterior end of the bursa copulatrix
.
The following is summarized from MacKay (1959)MacKay (1959):
MacKay, M. R. 1959. Larvae of the North American Olethreutidae (Lepidoptera). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 10: 1-338..
Mature larva 7-8 mm in length; width of head 0.8-0.9 mm; head yellow, often with dark pigmentation present laterally; prothoracic shieldprothoracic shield:
a sclerotized plate on the dorsal surface of the prothorax 
light brown; body, legs very pale; pinaculapinacula:
flattened sclerotized plates on a caterpillar that bear the setae
minute, concolorous with body; anal fork absent; SV group on A1, 2, 7, 8, 9 usually 2:2:2:2:1.
A complete description of larval chaetotaxychaetotaxy:
the arrangement of setae (in reference to Lepidoptera larvae), often depicted on a "setal map"
is given in MacKay (1959)MacKay (1959):
MacKay, M. R. 1959. Larvae of the North American Olethreutidae (Lepidoptera). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 10: 1-338..
Eucosma parmatana is very similar to several other species of Eucosmini, including but not limited to Eucosma oregonensis, Epinotia transmissana, and Epiblema otiosana. Eucosma oregonensis is a west coast species which does not overlap in range with E. parmatana, although the forewing pattern and genitalia are extremely similar. Dissection may be necessary to differentiate E. parmatana from the latter two.
Little is known of the biology of E. parmatana. Larvae have been recorded feeding on the inflorescences of Aster and Symphyotrichum (both Asteraceae) and overwinter in a cocoon constructed in the soil or in plant litter. Adults fly from mid-July to late September.
| Host plant | Host plant family | Reference(s) |
| Aster sp. | Asteraceae | Miller 1983a |
| Symphyotrichum ciliolatum | Asteraceae | MacKay 1959MacKay 1959: MacKay, M. R. 1959. Larvae of the North American Olethreutidae (Lepidoptera). Canadian Entomologist, Supplement 10: 1-338. |
View full screen host table here
Eucosma parmatana is broadly distributed in North America, from Maine west to Minnesota and Colorado, south to Florida and eastern Texas. Records from Utah and California require verification.
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