Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Noctuidae Members:	Achatia Members:	140 NC Records

Achatia distincta Hübner, 1813 - Distinct Quaker

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Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Noctuoidea

Family:
Noctuidae

Subfamily:
Noctuinae

Tribe:
Orthosiini

P3 Number:
932800

MONA Number:
10518.00

Comments: A monotypic genus found across most of eastern North America and throughout North Carolina. The genus is not closely related to other known genera but the species was included in Morrisonia by Forbes (1954).

Species Status: Specimens from North Carolina match those from elsewhere in the eastern US and Canada. Variability is low.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)

Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD

Technical Description, Adults: Forbes (1954), as Morrisonia distincta

Technical Description, Immature Stages: Wagner et al. (2011)

Adult Markings: Slightly similar to Morrisonia latex but smaller and more distinctly marked. Look for the black bar running between the white antemedian and postmedian lines. Sexes are similar.

Wingspan: 3 - 3.7 cm (Covell, 1984)

Adult Structural Features: The genitalia are distinct and do not indicate a relationship with species of Morrisonia nor other genera in the tribe.

Structural photos

Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.

Immatures and Development: Caterpillar green with the subdorsal lines most distinct. Very similar to caterpillar of Kocakina fidelis. Eggs laid in rafts (Wagner et al, 2011).

Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: This species is abundant in the Mountains and common in the Piedmont. Records from the Coastal Plain appear to be restricted to the floodplains and slopes along brownwater rivers.

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, it is on the wing early in the spring, from March into May

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: All of our records come from forests dominated by hardwoods, including wet, mesic, and fairly dry sites. We have no records, however, from Longleaf Pine, Peatland, or Maritime habitats despite the intensive surveys that have been conducted in them within North Carolina.

Larval Host Plants: Larvae are polyphagous, feeding on a very wide range of woody plants. Wagner (2005) lists apple (Malus), ash (Fraxinus), birch (Betula), blackberry (Rubus), blueberry (Vaccinium), cherry (Prunus), hop-hornbeam (Ostrya), maple (Acer), oak (Quercus), tupelo (Nyssa), Viburnum, walnut (Juglans), and witch-hazel (Hamamelis). In North Carolina, we have a feeding record from Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata). - View

Observation Methods: Adults are readily attracted to light but we have no records from bait.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Dry-Mesic Hardwood Forests

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S4S5]

State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.

Comments: Although we only have a relatively small number of records for Achatia, this is probably due to its early spring flight. This species otherwise appears to secure in the state, since it is widespread at least across the western two-thirds of the state; occupies a wide range of hardwood habitats; and feeds on a very wide variety of host plants.

Photo Gallery for Achatia distincta - Distinct Quaker

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

	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-04-27 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-04-20 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-04-05 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-04-02 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-01 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-03-31 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2025-03-29 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2025-03-28 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Chuck Smith on 2025-03-23 Davidson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2024-05-06 Transylvania Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-04-13 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-04-08 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2024-04-06 Transylvania Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2024-04-02 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-04-01 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-04-01 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-03-30 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-03-30 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Becky Watkins on 2024-03-14 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-03-13 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George on 2023-05-15 Alamance Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George on 2023-05-15 Alamance Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George on 2023-05-15 Alamance Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George on 2023-05-10 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George on 2023-05-10 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2023-05-09 Transylvania Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2023-04-20 Transylvania Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and John Petranka on 2023-04-19 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-04-12 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2023-04-03 Transylvania Co. Comment: