Moths of North Carolina

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Cossula magnifica (Strecker, 1876) - Pecan Carpenterworm Moth

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Cossoidea

Family:
Cossidae

Subfamily:
Cossulinae

Tribe:
[Cossulini]

P3 Number:
53a0047

MONA Number:
2674.00

Comments: A resident of the southeastern U.S., this is the sole representative of the genus in North America.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984)

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

Technical Description, Adults: Barnes and McDunnough (1911)

Adult Markings: Distinctive. The basal three-quarters of the forewing is powdery-gray (lightest subterminally) with fine black striations, heaviest at the base. The end of the forewing bears a creamy-brown elliptical disk, speckled, streaked, and edged in dark brown and black. The width of the forewings is almost uniform from base to outer margin, broadening only slightly at distal end. The raised, silver-gray thoracic scales encompass the base of the forewings imparting upon the moth something of a "cowled" appearance.

Wingspan: 32 mm, male (Barnes and McDunnough, type specimen)

Adult Structural Features: Length from tip of head to apex of forewing at rest averages 19.3 mm (n=4).

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

Immatures and Development: Larvae: Late instar brown with concolorous, raised dorsal and supraspiracular bumps. Steep, exaggerated, orange prothoracic shield on a strongly humped first thoracic segment bears a lateral black band across the front just above the orange head. Last anterior segment dark and elongated giving the appearance of a false head. Because they develop in wood, larvae are rarely seen.

Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Most of our records come from the Coastal Plain and the adjoining eastern Piedmont; one historic record comes from the western Piedmont

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: Univoltine, adults fly from May to July

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: North Carolina records for this species come from a wide range of woody habitats, including maritime forest and scrub, xeric Carolina bay rims and sandhills, mesic hardwood slopes and ridges, reservoir shorelines, and wooded residential neighborhoods.

Larval Host Plants: Larvae are borers in oaks and hickories, including Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) (Bailey, 1892). Pecan (Carya illinoinensis) and American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) have also been specifically as hosts used by this species (Covell, 1984), as have Southern Red Oak (Q. falcata) and Cherrybark Oak (Q. pagoda) (US Forest Service). In North Carolina, it has recently been reported from Common Hazel (Corylus avellana) (M. Bertone, BugGuide, 2017), which is not native to our state. - View

Observation Methods: Attracted to lights but since the mouthparts of the adults are rudimentary, they do not feed and consequently do not come to bait or visit flowers.

Wikipedia

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 [S4]

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

Comments: Uncommon to locally common in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont but apparently rare in or absent from the Mountains.

Photo Gallery for Cossula magnifica - Pecan Carpenterworm Moth

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

	Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2025-06-22 Transylvania Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George, Larry Chen, Sarah Toner, Joye Zhou on 2025-06-20 Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-06-19 Moore Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Lior S. Carlson, Dean Furbish on 2025-06-18 Alamance Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-15 Rowan Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-14 Rowan Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2025-06-12 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Catherine Rose on 2025-06-11 Craven Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: R. Newman on 2025-05-20 Carteret Co. Comment:		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-07-07 Carteret Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson on 2024-06-18 Lincoln Co. Comment:		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-06-16 Carteret Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Steve Hall, Patrick Coin, Mark Basinger on 2024-06-16 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-06-15 Rowan Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-06-15 Rowan Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George on 2024-06-14 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2024-06-13 Cumberland Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2024-06-13 Cumberland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-06-13 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-06-13 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-06-11 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-10 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Tracy Feldman, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Patrick Coin, Becky Watkins on 2024-06-08 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-06-07 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-06-02 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-01 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-05-29 Carteret Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-25 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: R. Newman on 2023-06-18 Carteret Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2023-06-14 Orange Co. Comment: