Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Noctuidae Members:	Morrisonia Members:	236 NC Records

Morrisonia confusa (Hübner, [1831]) - Confused Woodgrain

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Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Noctuoidea

Family:
Noctuidae

Subfamily:
Noctuinae

Tribe:
Orthosiini

P3 Number:
932803

MONA Number:
10521.00

Identification

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

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

Adult Markings: The ground color is dull gray-brown; in light specimens, dusted and streaked on a luteous background (Forbes, 1954). A black basal dash is present and a dash above the inner margin. The antemedian is waved and the postmedian is deeply dentate opposite the cell, partially white-filled and with a conspicuous white bar across the fold. The orbicular is very large and nearly horizontal, often touching the reniform.

Wingspan: 32-45 mm (Forbes, 1954)

Adult Structural Features: Male antennae are simple in M. confusa but pectinate in mucens (Forbes, 1954)

Structural photos

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

Immatures and Development: The larvae are polyphagous and use a variety of woody species. They often feed within leaf ties or leaf rolls when young, while the older larvae commonly fold the edge of a leaf and construct a tough silken shelter in the fold.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution:

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

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Woodlands and forests (Wagner et al., 2011). Our records come from maritime forests, pocosins, bottomland hardwoods, mesic slopes, and northern hardwoods.

Larval Host Plants: Larvae are polyphagous on a wide range of woody species, including hardwood trees and shrubs. There are occasional reports of the larvae also using conifers and forbs (Wagner et al., 2011). In North Carolina, we have feeding records for Boxelder (Acer negundo), Red Maple (Acer rubrum), serviceberry (Amelanchier sp.), Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis), Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis), American Beech (Fagus grandifolia), American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), Pin Oak (Quercus palustris), Northern Red Oak (Q. rubra), Coastal Plain Willow (Salix caroliniana), Black Willow (S. nigra), Bigleaf Snowbell (Styrax grandifolius), and Slippery Elm (Ulmus rubra). J.B. Sullivan also reared a larva from Bluejack Oak (Quercus incana). - View

Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights and the larvae can be found in leaf ties and leaf folds on hardwoods.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Forests and Shrublands

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:

Photo Gallery for Morrisonia confusa - Confused Woodgrain

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

	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George on 2025-05-24 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-18 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-18 McDowell Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-18 McDowell Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2025-05-03 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2025-04-27 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-04-27 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-04-23 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-18 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2025-04-15 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-15 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2025-04-14 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2025-04-06 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-06 Rowan Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-06 Rowan Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-06 Rowan Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-04-05 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-04-05 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George on 2025-04-04 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: R. Teper, D. George, J. Niznik on 2025-03-28 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-08-16 Madison Co. Comment: A last-instar larva that was in a leaf fold on Redbud.		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-08-16 Madison Co. Comment: A last-instar larva that was in a leaf fold on Redbud.
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-07-21 Madison Co. Comment: A larva from a leaf tie on Northern Red Oak.		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-07-21 Madison Co. Comment: A larva from a leaf tie on Northern Red Oak.
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-07-21 Madison Co. Comment: A leaf tie on northern Red Oak (see companion photo of larva that was inside).		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2024-06-16 Mecklenburg Co. Comment: A leaf tie on Quercus palustris.
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2024-06-16 Mecklenburg Co. Comment: An early-instar larva (10 mm) that was feeding on Quercus palustris. See companion photo of the same individual on 8/24 and now 28 mm.		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2024-06-16 Mecklenburg Co. Comment: An late-instar larva (28 mm) that was feeding on Quercus palustris. See companion photo of the same individual on 6/16 when only 10 mm long.
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-01 Chatham Co. Comment: Larva was in a leaf roll on Styrax grandifolius.		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2024-05-16 Buncombe Co. Comment: