Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNoctuidae Members: Eueretagrotis Members: 24 NC Records

Eueretagrotis sigmoides (Guenée, 1852) - Sigmoid Dart

Eueretagrotis sigmoidesEueretagrotis sigmoides
view caption 		Eueretagrotis sigmoides
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Noctuinae		Tribe:
Noctuini		P3 Number:
933568		 MONA Number:
11007.00
Comments: This genus contains 3 northern New World species that come down the Appalachian Mountains into North Carolina.
Species Status: Specimens from North Carolina have been sequenced and match those from more northern localities, with no evidence of sibling 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)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The collar is blackish. The ground color of the forewing is reddish and mottled. The costa is contrastingly pale, as are often the orbicular and reniform, with the cell in between usually blackish (Forbes, 1954). The hindwing is fuscous.
Wingspan: 35 mm (Forbes, 1954)
Adult Structural Features: Males have spining on the tibia. In the male valve, the ventral edge lacks the projection found in E. perattentus and the tips are not flexed downward. There is a distinct horizontal ridge in the basal area. The cornutus in the vesica is more distal and a tiny triangular shape. The distal tips of the juxta are noticeably flared and well sclerotized. In the female the lateral edges of the ostium are elongated with the distal halves crescent shaped and larger than in E. attenta. The pelt has additional lateral brush patches.
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae are similar to other cutworms (see Forbes, 1954, for a description).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Restricted to the Mountains in North Carolina, where it occurs primarily at high elevations.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Eueretagrotis sigmoidesAlamance 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: There is a single brood on the wing in June-July.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Found in the northern hardwood and spruce-fir regions above 3700’.
Larval Host Plants: Host plants are unknown but are probably similar to those of its two congeners. - View
Observation Methods: Adults come readily to light but we could not find information regarding their attraction to bait or flowers.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General High Elevation Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: [W-PK]
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S2S3]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: We have few records for this species, all from high elevation forests that are under threat from climate change as well as other adverse environmental factors. More needs to be learned about its host plants and habitat requirements in order to be sure about its conservation status.

 Photo Gallery for Eueretagrotis sigmoides - Sigmoid Dart

Photos: 7
Eueretagrotis sigmoidesRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-26
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Eueretagrotis sigmoidesRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-07-14
Watauga Co.
Comment:
Eueretagrotis sigmoidesRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-07-11
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Eueretagrotis sigmoidesRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2023-07-27
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Eueretagrotis sigmoidesRecorded by: Richard Teper on 2022-06-29
Avery Co.
Comment: 		Eueretagrotis sigmoidesRecorded by: B. Bockhahn, K. Kittelberger, P. Scharf on 2015-06-18
Avery Co.
Comment:
Eueretagrotis sigmoidesRecorded by: B. Bockhahn, K. Kittelberger, P. Scharf on 2015-06-18
Avery Co.
Comment: