Moths of North Carolina
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Common Name:
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View PDFLimacodidae Members:
Adoneta Members:
1 NC Records

Adoneta pygmaea Grote & Robinson, 1868 - No Common Name

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Taxonomy
Superfamily: Zygaenoidea Family: LimacodidaeP3 Number: 57a0084 MONA Number: 4683.00
Comments: The genus Adoneta contains four recognized species in North America, with all but one occurring in North Carolina.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Grote and Robinson (1868)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Adoneta pygmaea is the smallest of our slug moths, with a wing expanse of only 14-15 mm (Grote and Robinson, 1868). The head, thorax, palps, and antennae vary from reddish or orangish-tan to a darker reddish-brown. The thorax is covered with long hairs, and the legs tend to be a slightly darker shade, with the front and insides more blackish. The forewing is rounded -- with a ground color typically concolorous with the head and thorax – and is marked with two whitish lines. The first extends from the inner margin at about one-third the length from the base to the tornus. It curved slightly posteriorly before terminating near the middle of the wing. The second extends from the costa at about four-fifths and parallels the termen before ending near the middle of the wing. The fringe tends to be concolorous with the wing in light forms and dark brown in the darker forms. The hindwing is similar in color to the forewing, but of a lighter shade.
Immatures and Development: The larval life history is undocumented.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Adoneta pygmaea is primarily found in Texas, with additional records known from southern Oklahoma and western Louisiana. An isolated record is also known for southeastern Georgia. As of 2023, we have two records from the Sandhills.
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)

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Flight Comments: The adults have been observed from April through November, with a seasonal peak typically in August and September. As of 2023, we have records from late July and early August.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Our records are from the Sandhills, one near the interface of a xeric Longleaf Pine forest and a headwater riparian hardwood forest and the other from an old farm located on a flat.
Larval Host Plants: The larval host plants are undocumented. - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S1]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: This species appears to be rare in North Carolina. We have only two specimens from the Sandhills, with the nearest known record from southeastern Georgia. We are uncertain if a viable population exists in the Sandhills.