Moths of North Carolina
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
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View PDFNoctuidae Members: Heliocheilus Members: 12 NC Records

Heliocheilus lupatus (Grote, 1875) - Spotted Straw Moth

Heliocheilus lupatusHeliocheilus lupatusHeliocheilus lupatus
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Heliothinae		P3 Number:
932056		 MONA Number:
11073.10		 Other Common Name:
Lupatus Straw Moth
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: 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.
Heliocheilus lupatusAlamance 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.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on the flowers and seeds of Purpletop Tridens (Tridens flavus) and possibly other grasses (Wagner et al., 2011). - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Successional and Semi-Natural Grasslands
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: [W-PK]
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR SNR [S2S3]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Heliocheilus lupatus - Spotted Straw Moth

Photos: 9
Heliocheilus lupatusRecorded by: John Petranka on 2022-08-23
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Heliocheilus lupatusRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2022-08-18
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Heliocheilus lupatusRecorded by: Lior Carlson on 2021-08-10
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Heliocheilus lupatusRecorded by: Lior Carlson on 2021-08-10
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Heliocheilus lupatusRecorded by: Darryl Willis on 2020-08-22
Cabarrus Co.
Comment: 		Heliocheilus lupatusRecorded by: David L. Heavner on 2019-08-30
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Heliocheilus lupatusRecorded by: David L. Heavner on 2019-08-30
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Heliocheilus lupatusRecorded by: Robert Gilson on 2016-09-20
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Heliocheilus lupatusRecorded by: Paul Scharf on 2010-09-20
Warren Co.
Comment: