Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNoctuidae Members: Lacinipolia Members: 40 NC Records

Lacinipolia meditata (Grote, 1873) - Thinker Moth

Lacinipolia meditataLacinipolia meditata
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Noctuinae		Tribe:
Eriopygini		P3 Number:
933016		 MONA Number:
10368.00		 Other Common Name:
The Thinker
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The ground color is dark brown to reddish brown, variably shaded with gray and with a partial coverage with white scale tips producing a violet effect, particularly towards the outer margin (Forbes, 1954). The costa and cell are fuscous and the subterminal space is usually gray. The antemedian and postmedian are waved, filled with pale gray, and outlined with black on the side towards the median. The subterminal is slightly irregular and lacks a W-mark. The orbicular and reniform are outlined by pale gray but the filling is the same as the ground color or slightly paler; the claviform is absent. The hindwings are fuscous but somewhat paler between the veins towards the base.
Wingspan: 30 mm (Forbes, 1954)
Adult Structural Features: The antennae of the males are serrate and pubescent but lack long cilia (Forbes, 1948)
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae are cutworms (Forbes, 1954).
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Lacinipolia meditataAlamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New%20Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: adults.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are polyphagous, with reported hosts including Broomsedge (Andropogon virginicus), Common Apple (Malus domestica), Cultivated Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), Kentucky Bluegrass (Poa pratensis), goldenrod (Solidago), Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), clover (Trifolium), and grape (Vitis) (Crumb, 1932; Heppner, 2007). - View
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S3S4]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Lacinipolia meditata - Thinker Moth

Photos: 12
Lacinipolia meditataRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-21
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Lacinipolia meditataRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-21
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Lacinipolia meditataRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin, Steve Hall, and Bo Sullivan. on 2022-09-27
Moore Co.
Comment: 		Lacinipolia meditataRecorded by: Simpson Eason on 2022-06-03
Durham Co.
Comment:
Lacinipolia meditataRecorded by: Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2021-10-03
Moore Co.
Comment: 		Lacinipolia meditataRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-09-12
Madison Co.
Comment:
Lacinipolia meditataRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-09-18
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Lacinipolia meditataRecorded by: David L. Heavner on 2018-09-14
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Lacinipolia meditataRecorded by: Darryl Willis on 2015-10-15
Cabarrus Co.
Comment: 		Lacinipolia meditataRecorded by: Leigh Anne Carter on 2014-09-21
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Lacinipolia meditataRecorded by: Paul Scharf on 2010-10-11
Warren Co.
Comment: 		Lacinipolia meditataRecorded by: Paul Scharf on 2010-09-25
Warren Co.
Comment: