Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNoctuidae Members: Anicla Members: 189 NC Records

Anicla lubricans (Guenée, 1852) - Slippery Dart

Anicla lubricansAnicla lubricans
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Noctuinae		Tribe:
Noctuini		P3 Number:
933214		 MONA Number:
10901.00		 MONA Synonym:
Euagrotis lubricans
Comments: One of fifteen species in this genus that occur in North American north of Mexico (Lafontaine and Schmidt), six of which have been recorded in North Carolina
Species Status: Previously placed in genus Euagrotis (e.g., Hodges et al., 1984; Covell, 1984), which is now treated as a subgenus of Anicla (Lafontaine, 2004)
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984; as Euagrotis lubricans); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Lafontaine (2004)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A medium-sized, reddish-to grayish Noctuid. The head, collar, thorax, and the basal third of the forewings are generally light- to medium-gray; the median and submedian areas of the forewing are usually shaded with reddish; a subapical dark patch may exist on the costa and the terminal area is also often dark. The prothoracic collar lacks or has only a thin, black transverse band, and the transverse lines on the forewings are often thin and discontinuous, usually most strongly marked at he costa. Hindwings are fuscous in both sexes (Lafontaine, 2004). Anicla sullivani is similar in size, color, and markings, but usually has a well-defined dark band on the collar. Many individuals of these two species cannot be distinguished based on external features and must be dissected to determine their identity. Other members of this genus may have reddish-gray forewings but have much paler or glistening white hindwings.
Wingspan: 30-40 mm (Forbes, 1954)
Forewing Length: 15-19 mm (Lafontaine, 2004)
Adult Structural Features: Males possess brushes that are usually concealed within pouches on the underside of the first abdominal segment; these brushes are absent in A. sullivani (Lafontaine, 2004). Male and female reproductive structures are otherwise indistinguishable.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable only by close inspection of structural features or by DNA analysis.
Immatures and Development: Immature stages are undescribed (Lafontaine, 2004)
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Most of our records come from the southern half of the Coastal Plain, including the Fall-line Sandhills. Specimens from other parts of the state need to be re-examined to determine their identity.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Anicla lubricansAlamance 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.
Flight Comments: This species appears to fly during most of the growing season, with peaks in the spring and late summer/fall.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Uncertain, given the confusion of records for lubricans and sullivani, but this species appears to be most frequent in Longleaf Pine habitats, including wet savannas as well as dry sandhills.
Larval Host Plants: The host plants for this species are unknown (Lafontaine, 2004), but most members of this genus feed on grasses, as well as on forbs in some cases (Wagner et al., 2011). - View
Observation Methods: Comes well to lights and has also been observed at bait.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Fire-maintained Herblands
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: W-PK
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G4G5 S3?
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: In North Carolina, this species appears to be a fairly strong specialist on Longleaf Pine habitats but the overall picture is clouded due to past confusion with Anicla sullivani. A clearer picture of the distribution, abundance, and habitat associations needs to be based on more definitely identified specimens and currently an accurate assessment of its conservation status cannot be made.

 Photo Gallery for Anicla lubricans - Slippery Dart

Photos: 4
Anicla lubricansRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-05-24
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Anicla lubricansRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-05-24
Richmond Co.
Comment:
Anicla lubricansRecorded by: Darryl Willis on 2018-11-02
Cabarrus Co.
Comment: 		Anicla lubricansRecorded by: J.B. Sullivan on 2013-05-11
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: