Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFMegalopygidae Members: Norape Members: 43 NC Records

Norape cretata (Grote, 1864) - White Flannel Moth

Norape cretataNorape cretataNorape cretataNorape cretata
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Zygaenoidea		 Family:
Megalopygidae		P3 Number:
57a0044		 MONA Number:
4650.00		 MONA Synonym:
Norape ovina
Comments: One of three members of this genus in North America and the only eastern representative.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1923)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Hyche (2002); Wagner (2005)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Norape cretata is smaller than other flannel moths and slimmer in build. The forewing, hindwing, body, palps, and legs are satiny-white, and the base of the forewing and head have tufts of long, white, silky hairs. The body is stout and hairy, and the wings are rounded. The male's antenna is broadly pectinate and orangish. If not examined closely, N. ovina could easily be passed off as Hyphantria cunea or any of several species of the unmarked forms of Spilosoma. It can be separated from those species by the proportionally shorter and rounder wings, the long, straight hairs that protrude upward from the thorax, and the orange, pectinate antennae.
Wingspan: 30 mm (Forbes, 1923)
Forewing Length: 11-17 mm (Powell and Opler, 2009).
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The larvae feed primarily on the foliage of hardwood trees. The following life history account is based on a detailed study by Hyche (2002) in Alabama where the larvae fed on Eastern Redbud. The females lay yellowish eggs in linear rows on the undersides of leaves and hatching occurs about seven days later. The early-instar larvae feed in groups initially, then disperse and feed individually throughout the host plant. Individual trees can often have dozens of feeding larvae. The final instar larvae crawl to the ground and pupate in a tough, brown silken cocoon just below the soil surface or in leaf litter. The larvae overwinter in the prepupal stage and pupate in the spring. Populations are univoltine in North Carolina, with larvae actively feeding in August and September.

The larvae are strikingly different than other flannel moths by lacking the long, dense body hairs. The caterpillar is black with orange thoracic segments and distinct rows of yellow spots along the dorsum and sides (Wagner, 2005). The larvae have urticating hairs and venomous spines and can cause a painful sting and rash if brushed against, so be careful when handling!
Larvae ID Requirements: Unmistakable and widely known.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Norape cretata is mostly restricted to the southeastern US where specimens have been found from Maryland southward to southern Florida, and westward to eastern Texas, eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, southeastern Missouri, southern Illinois, southern Indiana and southern Ohio. Populations appear to be absent or rare in the Atlantic Coastal Plain between Virginia and northern Florida. As of 2023, our records are mostly from the Piedmont, with a few records from lower elevations in the Blue Ridge.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Norape cretataAlamance 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 Hanover 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.