Moths of North Carolina
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
« »
View PDFNoctuidae Members:
Abagrotis Members:
4 NC Records

Abagrotis brunneipennis (Grote, 1875) - Yankee Dart

No image for this species.
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Noctuinae		Tribe:
Noctuini		P3 Number:
933683		 MONA Number:
11044.00		 Other Common Name:
Cupid Dart
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Lafontaine (1998)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The forewings are dark brown with a glossy sheen, but paler orange-brown and yellow-brown forms also occur. (Lafontaine, 1998). The lines and spots are barely evident. In some specimens, the antemedial and subterminal areas are entirely black, and a diffuse area of black is located on the costa just proximal to the subterminal line. The side of the labial palpus is mostly black, contrasting with the color of head and thorax. Abagrotis cupida is similar but typically has a much more strongly marked black patch on the costa just before the subterminal line (Lafontaine, 1998). In both alternata and anchoceliodes, the spots are much more strongly marked and are much larger in alternata. The side of the palpus is reddish brown in both of those species and is only slightly darker than the head and thorax.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: This is primarily a northern species but with several confirmed records from the Piedmont and one from Blue Ridge escarpment in North Carolina
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Abagrotis brunneipennis
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: According to Lafontaine (1998), this species is associated with blueberries growing in sandy areas, primarily in Canadian zone habitats of Canada and northern United States. Our records come from fairly dry woodlands, with at least two and possibly three associated with mafic rock formations
Larval Host Plants: Larvae have been found on blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) on a number of occasions (Lafontaine, 1998). We do not have any feeding records in North Carolina. - View
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: [SR]
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G4 SNR [S1S2]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: This is a primarily northern species that reaches the southern end of its range in North Carolin (MPG; GBIF). Unlike several of our species that appear to be Pleistocene relicts and are restricted to the Blue Ridge Province, this species has only been recorded at fairly low elevations in North Carolina. It appears to be a resident species, however, with most of our records coming from the middle of the growing season. At least one specimen has been confirmed by genetic analysis.