Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNoctuidae Members: Xanthopastis Members: 7 NC Records

Xanthopastis regnatrix (Grote, 1863) - Spanish Moth

Xanthopastis regnatrixXanthopastis regnatrixXanthopastis regnatrixXanthopastis regnatrix
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Noctuinae		Tribe:
Glottulini		P3 Number:
933210		 MONA Number:
10640.00		 Other Common Name:
Convict Caterpillar
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984; as Xanthopastis timais); Beadle and Leckie (2012; as Xanthopastis timais)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Xanthopastis regnatrixAlamance 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.
Immature 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: immatures.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Larval Host Plants: Reported hosts include spider-lily, fig, and Narcissus (Covell, 1984; Wagner, 2005). In North Carolina, larvae have been recorded on spider-lily (Hymenocallis) and Amaryllis. - View
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: [SR]
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR SNR [S1S2]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: The naturally occurring host plants for this species -- Hymenocallis spp. -- are themselves rare in North Carolina

 Photo Gallery for Xanthopastis regnatrix - Spanish Moth

Photos: 7
Xanthopastis regnatrixRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-15
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Xanthopastis regnatrixRecorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn on 2023-03-28
New Hanover Co.
Comment:
Xanthopastis regnatrixRecorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn on 2023-03-28
New Hanover Co.
Comment: 		Xanthopastis regnatrixRecorded by: Amy Hobbs Sessions on 2022-05-24
Columbus Co.
Comment:
Xanthopastis regnatrixRecorded by: Jesse Anderson on 2022-05-08
New Hanover Co.
Comment: 		Xanthopastis regnatrixRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2021-05-02
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Xanthopastis regnatrixRecorded by: Mark Shields on 2016-05-01
Pender Co.
Comment: Larvae feeding on Hymenocallis