Moths of North Carolina
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20 NC Records

Eucoptocnemis dapsilis (Grote, 1882) - No Common Name

Eucoptocnemis dapsilis
Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: NoctuidaeSubfamily: NoctuinaeTribe: NoctuiniP3 Number: 933258 MONA Number: 10696.00
Comments: One of six species in this genus that occur in North America (Lafontaine and Schmidt, 2010), two of which have been recorded in North Carolina. Dapsilis is found mainly in Florida but occurs up the Atlantic Coast to southeastern North Carolina.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Lafontaine (2004)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A medium-sized, stocky Noctuid, with pale gray forewings dusted with blackish-gray. The antemedian, postmedian and terminal lines are blackish-gray and somewhat broken or consisting of separate spots. The orbicular and reniform are also dark. Hindwings are fuscous in the males and whitish in the females. Similar in coloration to Agrotis vetusta, which flies at the same time of year and in the same habitats, but has broader wings and darker lines and spots; the hindwing in vetusta is also pure white. Eucoptonemis fimbriaris has a similar gray phase (also a reddish one) but is usually darker gray and has a contrastingly pale reniform spot.
Forewing Length: 14-18 mm (Lafontaine, 2004)
Adult Structural Features: Antennae are broadly pectinate in the male, simple in the female. Both male and female genitalia are distinctly different from those of E. fimbriaris (see Lafontaine, 2004, for details and illustrations).
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae do not appear to have been found or described (Lafontaine, 2004)
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Restricted to the southern half of the Coastal Plain, including the Fall-line Sandhills
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
Flight Comments: Univoltine, flying in October and early November
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: All of our records come from dry pine-oak habitats, including Maritime Forests, Coastal Fringe Sandhills, and Pine-Scrub Oak Sandhills.
Larval Host Plants: The host plants are apparently unrecorded (Lafontaine, 2004). - View
Observation Methods: Comes well to blacklights
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for Coastal Plain Dry-Xeric Barrens and Woodlands
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: SR
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G4 S2S3
State Protection: Listed as Significantly Rare by the Natural Heritage Program. That designation does not confer any legal protection, however, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: We have relatively few records for this species and from only a handful of sites. It appears to be resident within the state, however, and may be locally common. It appears to be strongly associated with sandhills habitats, but has been found at only a few sites with those habitats in the state. As a narrowly distributed, strong habitat specialist, this species appears to be of significant conservation concern in North Carolina. Much of its habitat has been lost due to conversion to agriculture, silviculture, and development. Both fire suppression and too complete prescribed burns may also be threats, particularly if it turns out to be feeding on herbs or shrubs rather than trees.

 Photo Gallery for Eucoptocnemis dapsilis - No common name

Photos: 3

Recorded by: John Petranka and Chuck Smith on 2022-10-18
Bladen Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Ed Corey on 2015-10-13
Bladen Co.
Comment: Two males and one female
Recorded by: Ed Corey on 2015-10-12
Bladen Co.
Comment: