Moths of North Carolina
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
« »
View PDFNoctuidae Members:
Leucania Members:
3 NC Records

Leucania commoides Guenée, 1852 - Two-lined Wainscot

Leucania commoides
Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: NoctuidaeSubfamily: NoctuinaeTribe: LeucaniiniP3 Number: 932947 MONA Number: 10447.00
Comments: One of 30 species in this genus that occur in North America north of Mexico (Lafontaine and Schmidt, 2010; Lafontaine and Schmidt, 2015), 16 of which have been recorded in North Carolina. Previously included in Subfamily Hadeninae but moved to the much expanded Noctuinae by Lafontaine and Schmidt. They also included it in Tribe Leucaniini along with Mythimna.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1954)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: This is a distinctively streaked species. The ground color is wood-brown with a white line running along the length of the cubitus vein, bordered by a long black streak on the posterior side and with a smaller streak located above (Forbes, 1954). Dark streaks are also located in the fold and just above the inner margin. The series of dark spots forming the subterminal line are nearly complete. The hindwing is dark fuscous.
Wingspan: 35 mm (Forbes, 1954)
Adult Structural Features: The aedeaegus contains two very heavy spines (Forbes, 1954). The digitus is relatively straight rather than sinuous (see illustrations in Forbes).
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: According to Forbes (1954), the larva is similar to that of phragmatidicola, The two lines bordering the dorsal stripe are conspicuous. A subdorsal dark line is stronger than the pale line below it and the lateral area tends to be striated.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: This is a northern species whose southernmost records come from the northern mountains of North Carolina.
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
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: One record comes from an area with extensive mountain bogs and one from an area that has at least some open successional grasslands. The most recent record, however, comes from a stand of high-elevation hardwood forest.
Larval Host Plants: Covell (1984) lists Orchard Grass as a larval host, but other, native species of grasses are likely to be used. - View
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 S1S2
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: This species has only been recorded a few times in North Carolina, all from high-quality habitats located in the northern mountains. Its range suggests that it could be a high-elevation disjunct/relict in our area.

 Photo Gallery for Leucania commoides - Two-lined Wainscot

Photos: 1

Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Mark Basinger on 2024-08-06
Mitchell Co.
Comment: