Moths of North Carolina
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Kocakina Members:
63 NC Records

Kocakina fidelis (Grote, 1874) - Intractable Quaker Moth


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Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: NoctuidaeSubfamily: NoctuinaeTribe: OrthosiiniP3 Number: 932785.00 MONA Number: 10502.00 MONA Synonym: Himella fidelis
Comments: A single species genus restricted to eastern North America and found across North Carolina.
Species Status: Although specimens from North Carolina have not been examined, some from South Carolina have and match specimens from throughout eastern North America. There is no evidence of heterogeneity.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984; as Himella intractata); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1954)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Wagner et al. (2011)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A medium sized, brown, spring-flying moth, this species is readily identified by the series of black dots (usually 3) in the fold of the forewing. Once placed in Orthodes (Forbes, 1954), as were a host of other species now placed elsewhere, the exact relationship of this genus is uncertain but it appears to be closer to some species of Orthosia.
Adult Structural Features: Both male and female genitalia are distinct, particularly the deeply cleft valve of the male. The aedeagus tapers posteriorly making eversion of the vesica with its patches of cornuti very difficult.
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Caterpillar green with longitudinal white stripes, very similar to the caterpillar of Achatia distincta, characters separating the two undetermined to date.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Probably occurs throughout the Mountains and Piedmont but may be confined to brownwater river floodplains in the Coastal Plain.
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
Immature 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, flying primarily in March and April
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: All of our records come from hardwood-dominated forests; no records come from Longleaf Pine, Peatland, or Maritime Forests, all of which have been extensively sampled in North Carolina. Both bottomland and upland stands of hardwoods are used, including in some semi-wooded residential neighborhoods.
Larval Host Plants: Polyphagous on a wide variety of woody plants. Observed feeding on beech, but the other food plants used in our state are unknown.
Observation Methods: Adults come to light but the infrequency may be due to weak attraction. Wagner et al (2011) indicate adults do not come to bait but can be found at spring flowers.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S4S5]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: Although we have relatively few records for this species, that is most likely due to its early spring flight. It feeds on a wide range of common host plants and has been found in a variety of forest habitat types. While more spring surveys are needed to confirm its distribution and abundance, it currently appears to be secure within the state.

 Photo Gallery for Kocakina fidelis - Intractable Quaker Moth

42 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

Recorded by: David George on 2023-04-17
Durham Co.
Comment: feeding on beech		Recorded by: David George on 2023-04-17
Durham Co.
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Recorded by: Emily L Stanley on 2023-04-15
Yancey Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2023-04-06
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-03-24
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2023-03-16
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: Chuck Smith on 2023-02-28
Davidson Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2022-03-22
Wake Co.
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Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2022-03-05
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-04-11
Madison Co.
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Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-04-09
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-04-07
Madison Co.
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Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2021-04-04
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2021-03-26
Guilford Co.
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Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2021-03-23
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2021-03-22
Durham Co.
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Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2021-03-11
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Steve Hall on 2020-05-26
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-04-03
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Vin Stanton on 2020-03-30
Buncombe Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-03-28
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-03-26
Guilford Co.
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Recorded by: Robert Gilson on 2020-03-20
Iredell Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-03-11
Guilford Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-04-09
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Vin Stanton on 2019-04-07
Buncombe Co.
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Recorded by: David L. Heavner on 2019-04-06
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-04-05
Madison Co.
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Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-04-03
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-03-24
Guilford Co.
Comment: