Moths of North Carolina
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3 NC Records

Lacanobia grandis (Guenée, 1852) - Grand Arches Moth

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: NoctuidaeSubfamily: NoctuinaeTribe: HadeniniP3 Number: 932882.00 MONA Number: 10300.00
Comments: One of five species in this genus that occur in North America north of Mexico (Lafontaine and Schmidt, 2010), two of which have been recorded in North Carolina
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1954); McCabe (1980)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Wagner et al. (2011)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A medium-sized, red, brown, and gray Noctuid. The ground color of the forewings is reddish brown; the transverse lines, orbicular, and reniform are all grayish to whitish, with the spots somewhat darker inside. A strong basal black dash and a black median dash in the fold between the antemedian and postmedian lines are distinctive, together with the broad, pale gray subterminal band; the outer edge of this band is bounded by a white line with a well-defined w-mark between veins M3 and Cu1. Lacanobia subjuncta has similar basal and median dashes but lacks the pale subterminal band; Spirameter lutra has a similar subterminal band but lacks the median dash (McCabe, 1980)
Wingspan: 31-44 mm (McCabe, 1980)
Adult Structural Features: Male and female reproductive structures are distinct (see keys and illustrations in McCabe, 1980)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae are pale tan or grayish, thick-bodied, and speckled with brown spots; a series of darker spots may occur dorsally. Larvae spend their time on the ground during the day (see Wagner et al., for a more detailed description and illustrations).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: North Carolina records come from the northern mountains
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: Univoltine, with adults flying in June and July in North Carolina
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: According to McCabe (1980), grandis is "a species of the Transitional and Canadian Life Zones". All of our records come from sites above 4,500 ft in elevation, one from a high elevation forest and one from a mountain bog.
Larval Host Plants: Polyphagous on many families of woody plants, including alder, blueberry, chery, dogwood, poplar, and willow (Wagner et al., 2011). Also recorded on Burdock. - View
Observation Methods: Comes to lights
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: SR
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: This species is common in the North (Wagner et al., 2011), but it appears to be strongly disjunct in our area and possibly confined to high elevation summits; we have records from only two sites in this state. Although apparently not a host-plant specialist, the range of plants used in North Carolina is unknown. If confined to cool, moist, high elevation habitats in North Carolina, it is likely to be vulnerable to the effects of global warming. Although more needs to be learned about its distribution within the state, we recommend that it be listed as Significantly Rare in North Carolina.

 Photo Gallery for Lacanobia grandis - Grand Arches Moth

Photos: 1

Recorded by: Bo Sullivan on 2002-06-05
Watauga Co.
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