Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNoctuidae Members: Anicla Members: 624 NC Records

Anicla infecta (Ochsenheimer, 1816) - Green Cutworm Moth

Anicla infectaAnicla infectaAnicla infectaAnicla infecta
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Noctuinae		Tribe:
Noctuini		P3 Number:
933212		 MONA Number:
10911.00
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.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The ground color of the wings and thorax is light to medium gray. The collar has a black crescent but the thorax is otherwise unmarked. The orbicular is outlined with reddish brown and filled with gray or is sometimes obsolete. The reniform consists of several dark dots surrounded by a reddish outline (Forbes, 1954). The hindwings are translucent white, with a brown border and veins. Anicla lubricans and sullivani are similar but usually have smaller reniform spots, consisting of a double, dull blackish shade.
Wingspan: 35 mm (Forbes, 1954)
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.
Anicla infectaAlamance 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 Hanover 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: Wagner et al. (2011) list fields, waste lots, croplands, marshes, wet meadows and other open habitats. Our records additionally include mesic forests and dry woodlands.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on grasses as well as a wide range of forbs, including numerous crop species (Wagner et al., 2011). Pogue (2006) specifically lists beets, tobacco, plantain, purslane, and clover. As of 2024, we have one feeding record for Bahia-grass (Paspalum notatum). - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Mixed Habitats
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S5]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Anicla infecta - Green Cutworm Moth

 322 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Anicla infecta
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-11-08
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Anicla infecta
Recorded by: R. Newman on 2025-11-06
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Anicla infecta
Recorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson, John F. Jarvis, S. L. Reeves on 2025-11-05
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Anicla infecta
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2025-10-22
Pender Co.
Comment:
Anicla infecta
Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2025-10-19
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Anicla infecta
Recorded by: R. Newman on 2025-10-18
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Anicla infecta
Recorded by: Marilyn Westphal on 2025-10-15
Henderson Co.
Comment: 		Anicla infecta
Recorded by: G. Newman on 2025-10-12
Onslow Co.
Comment:
Anicla infecta
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-10-03
Rowan Co.
Comment: 		Anicla infecta
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-10-01
Richmond Co.
Comment:
Anicla infecta
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-10-01
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Anicla infecta
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-09-26
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Anicla infecta
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-09-21
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Anicla infecta
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-09-13
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Anicla infecta
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-09-01
Rowan Co.
Comment: 		Anicla infecta
Recorded by: Mark Bassinger, Becky Elkin, Jim Petranka. on 2025-08-30
Moore Co.
Comment:
Anicla infecta
Recorded by: R. Newman on 2025-08-27
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Anicla infecta
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-23
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Anicla infecta
Recorded by: Marilyn Westphal on 2025-08-16
Henderson Co.
Comment: 		Anicla infecta
Recorded by: David George, Kevin Bischof, Rich Teper, Patrick Coin on 2025-08-15
Transylvania Co.
Comment:
Anicla infecta
Recorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson, Randy Emmitt on 2025-08-12
Alamance Co.
Comment: 		Anicla infecta
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-11
Ashe Co.
Comment:
Anicla infecta
Recorded by: Melody McMichael on 2025-08-06
Forsyth Co.
Comment: 		Anicla infecta
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-29
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Anicla infecta
Recorded by: David George, Dale Morgan, Patrick Coin, Julie Tuttle, Becky Watkins, et al. on 2025-07-26
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Anicla infecta
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2025-07-20
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Anicla infecta
Recorded by: Jill Coffey on 2025-07-17
Union Co.
Comment: 		Anicla infecta
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-13
Rowan Co.
Comment:
Anicla infecta
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-04
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Anicla infecta
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-21
Wilson Co.
Comment: