Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Noctuidae Members:	Protolampra Members:	190 NC Records

Protolampra brunneicollis (Grote, 1865) - Brown-collared Dart

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Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Noctuoidea

Family:
Noctuidae

Subfamily:
Noctuinae

Tribe:
Noctuini

P3 Number:
933649

MONA Number:
11006.00

Comments: The genus is Holarctic, with one species in Eurasia and two species in North America, one of which is is widely distributed in North Carolina. The genus is related to Abagrotis.

Species Status: A specimen from North Carolina has been barcoded and is similar to those from throughout the range which show little haplotype variation.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)

Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD

Technical Description, Adults: Forbes (1954, as Noctua brunneicollis); Lafontaine (1998)

Technical Description, Immature Stages: Wagner et al. (2011)

Adult Markings: Our species is a moderately large noctuid with a dark brown thoracic collar and head. Forewings are uniformly light brown to slightly mottled, with a dark subterminal mark on the costa. Hindwings are unusually broad and pearly in color.

Wingspan: 33-38 mm (Forbes, 1954)

Adult Structural Features: The male and female genitalia are distinct and distinguish our species from the other North American member of this genus, P. rufrufipectus, which has been taken occasionally in the east north of North Carolina (see Lafontaine, 1998).

Structural photos

Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.

Immatures and Development: Larvae are grayish brown cutworms with a pattern of dark sub-dorsal spots and lateral lines (see illustration in Wagner et al., 2011). Similar to the larvae of other darts.

Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Found from the western Coastal Plain to the higher mountains

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: This is one of our more common noctuids and is apt to be found during any of the warmer months. There appear to be two broods across most of the state with perhaps a single brood at higher altitudes.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Our records come from primarily from hardwood forests, including wet, mesic, and dry types, as well as from old fields and other open habitats. Remarkably, for a species recorded to feed on Blueberries and Sweet Gale we have only a small number of records from the Coastal Plain, all from the Fall-line Sandhills. In that area, most of our records come from Streamhead Swamp Forests, with just a few from Longleaf Pine habitats, including Sandhill Seeps and drier Pine-Scrub Oak Sandhills.

Larval Host Plants: Larvae are polyphagous, general feeders on herbaceous and low growing woody plants. Wagner et al. (2011) specifically list Sweet-fern (Comptonia peregrina), Cultivated Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), clover (Trifolium), and blueberry (Vaccinium). - View

Observation Methods: Adults are common at light sources but their attraction to bait or flowers is unrecorded.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Hardwood Forests

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S4S5]

State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.

Comments: This is common species over the western two-thirds of the state and occupies a wide range of habitat types; it thus seems secure in North Carolina.

Photo Gallery for Protolampra brunneicollis - Brown-collared Dart

37 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-10-13 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-21 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-06 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2023-10-13 Graham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin, Ivanna Knox, Marietta Shattelroe and Avery Young on 2023-09-21 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-09-12 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-09-10 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2022-10-05 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Richard Teper on 2022-06-16 Jackson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2022-06-01 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-10-12 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2021-10-08 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2021-09-14 Ashe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-06-01 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-09-24 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-09-04 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-10-02 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-07-27 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-06-21 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-05-21 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2018-09-26 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David L. Heavner on 2018-09-22 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2018-08-14 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2018-07-03 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2018-06-02 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2018-06-02 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Julie Tuttle on 2016-09-20 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Lenny Lampel on 2016-05-12 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2015-09-17 Ashe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2015-06-13 Orange Co. Comment: