Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNoctuidae Members: Xestia Members: 133 NC Records

Xestia dilucida (Morrison, 1875) - Dull Reddish Dart

Xestia dilucidaXestia dilucidaXestia dilucidaXestia dilucida
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Noctuinae		Tribe:
Noctuini		P3 Number:
933586		 MONA Number:
10969.00		 Other Common Names:
Reddish Heath Dart, Young's Blueberry Dart, Reddish Blueberry Dart
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984; as Anomogyna dilucida); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Structural photos
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.
Xestia dilucidaAlamance 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.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Most of our records come from dry, rocky or sandy habitats but there are at least a few from low-lying flatwoods.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are stenophagous, feeding on blueberry (Vaccinium), huckleberry (Gaylussacia), and probably other heaths (Wagner et al., 2011). Robinson et al. (2010) also list larch (Larix) and spruce (Picea), but these records are likely the result of confusion with other species of Xestia. - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Upland Heath Thickets
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S3S4]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Xestia dilucida - Dull Reddish Dart

 62 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-11-08
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-11-07
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-11-07
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: Tony McBride, Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-10-29
Craven Co.
Comment:
Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: Tony McBride, Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-10-28
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: Tony McBride, Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-10-28
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-10-25
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-10-24
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2025-10-24
Cumberland Co.
Comment: 		Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2025-10-24
Cumberland Co.
Comment:
Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2025-10-24
Cumberland Co.
Comment: 		Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2025-10-22
Pender Co.
Comment:
Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-10-21
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: Lenny Lampel on 2025-10-07
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-10-06
Rowan Co.
Comment: 		Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-10-04
Rowan Co.
Comment:
Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-10-04
Rowan Co.
Comment: 		Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-11-03
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-11-02
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-11-02
Onslow Co.
Comment:
Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-11-01
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2024-10-28
Pender Co.
Comment:
Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-10-22
Wayne Co.
Comment: 		Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-10-08
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-11-10
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-11-05
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2023-10-26
Graham Co.
Comment: 		Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-10-26
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-10-23
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Xestia dilucida
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-10-21
Wilson Co.
Comment: