Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNoctuidae Members: Cerastis Members: 148 NC Records

Cerastis tenebrifera (Walker, 1865) - Reddish Speckled Dart

Cerastis tenebrifera
view caption 		Cerastis tenebriferaCerastis tenebriferaCerastis tenebrifera
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Noctuinae		Tribe:
Noctuini		P3 Number:
933536		 MONA Number:
10994.00
Comments: The genus Cerastis has undergone significant change in the past 20 years, primarily due to its fusion with Metalepsis. It now contains about 13 species almost equally split between the Nearctic (mostly Metalepsis) and the Palearctic (mostly Cerastis). The combined genus is closely related to Choephora. We have two species in North Carolina, both of which fly early in the spring.
Species Status: Specimens from North Carolina have been examined and are similar to those from other parts of the species's range, with no evidence of hidden species.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1954); Lafontaine (1998)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Forbes (1954); Wagner et al. (2011)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The forewing is brick red with circular grey reniform and orbicular spots. There is a distinct black rectangular spot on the forewing costa in C. fishii which is absent in C. tenebrifera. Sexes are similar.
Wingspan: 33-38 mm (Forbes, 1954)
Adult Structural Features: This species differs from C. fishii in having bipectinate rather than biserrate antennae in the male. Both male and female genitalia are distinct from those in C. fishii and resolution of the species should present no problems.
Genitalia and other structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae are variable in color and pattern but usually have a broad, well-defined spiracular stripe. Other cutworms are similar and may be difficult to distinguish (see Wagner et al., 2011, for illustrations and a detailed description).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Occurs throughout the state and into the higher mountains.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Cerastis tenebriferaAlamance 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.