Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNoctuidae Members: Leucania Members: 3 NC Records

Leucania commoides Guenée, 1852 - Two-lined Wainscot

Leucania commoides
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Noctuinae		Tribe:
Leucaniini		P3 Number:
932947		 MONA Number:
10447.00		 Other Common Names:
Comma Wainscot, Dusky Wainscot
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.
Leucania commoidesAlamance 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: 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 (Dactylis glomerata) 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: [SR]
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S1S2]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: This northern 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
Leucania commoidesRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Mark Basinger on 2024-08-06
Mitchell Co.
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