Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFLimacodidae Members: Monoleuca Members: 92 NC Records

Monoleuca semifascia (Walker, 1855) - Pin-striped Vermilion Slug Moth


Monoleuca semifasciaMonoleuca semifasciaMonoleuca semifasciaMonoleuca semifascia
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Zygaenoidea
Family:
Limacodidae
P3 Number:
57a0092
MONA Number:
4691.00
Other Common Name:
Pin-striped Slug Moth
Comments: Monoleuca semifascia is one of two representatives of this genus that are currently recognized in North America. Both occur in the east, but only M. semifascia has been documented in North Carolina.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (2005)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Immature Stages: Wagner (2005)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: This species is entirely warm brown or reddish brown, except for a silvery white to yellowish white, transverse, wavy line that runs from before the midpoint of the inner margin to the middle of the wing. The line varies in appearance from being relatively wide and obvious to being very thin or barely discernible.
Wingspan: 19-27 mm (BugGuide)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The larvae feed on deciduous hardwoods, but the larval life history is poorly documented. The later instars are slug-like with a series of longitudinal stripes that vary from salmon or pink to bright red, with the latter being more common. The dorsal and lateral areas each have a set of three thin bluish-black stripes. The body has radiating clusters of 20 or more short, whitish, stinging spines that are grouped in four lines that run the length of the body, while the anterior end bears four dark conical projections of equal size (Wagner, 2005).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Monoleuca semifascia is primarily found in the southeastern US. The range extends from eastern Texas to Florida, and northward to southeastern Kansas, Missouri, southern Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Virginia and northward along the Atlantic Coast to New York. We have records from all three physiographic provinces, but the majority are from the Coastal Plain, with a few records from the Piedmont and one from a lower elevation site in the Blue Ridge.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Monoleuca semifasciaAlamance 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.
Immature 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: immatures.
Flight Comments: The adults fly from January through October in Florida, and typically from April through October farther north. Most populations have a seasonal peak from June and July. As of 2023, our records extend early May through early September.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Most of our records come from dry habitats such as dry woodlands, flatwoods, Sandhill communities, and dune scrub on barrier islands. However, we also have at least a few records from wet savannas and peatlands.
Larval Host Plants: The larvae are polyphagous and feed on deciduous hardwoods (Wagner, 2005; Robinson et al., 2010; Marquis et al., 2019). The reported hosts include Pecan (Carya illinoinensis), American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana), Sweet Cherry (Prunus avium) and other cherries, White Oak (Quercus alba), Black Oak (Q. velutina), Saw Greenbrier (Smilax bona-nox), and presumably many other woody plants. In North Carolina, larvae have been recorded feeding on Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria), greenbrier (Smilax sp.), and Small Black Blueberry (Vaccinium tenellum). - View
Observation Methods: Readily attracted to lights.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S3S4]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: Given that the reported food plants are widespread, other habitat factors, such as xeric conditions, are likely to be important factors in controlling the distribution of this species in the state.

 Photo Gallery for Monoleuca semifascia - Pin-striped Vermilion Slug Moth

Photos: 30
Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: David George, Patrick Coin on 2025-06-29
Moore Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: David George on 2025-06-29
Richmond Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin, David George on 2025-06-29
Richmond Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-06-29
Richmond Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-06-28
Moore Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George, Larry Chen, Sarah Toner, Joye Zhou on 2025-06-20
Richmond Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George, Larry Chen, Sarah Toner, Joye Zhou on 2025-06-20
Richmond Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-06-17
Moore Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2025-05-12
Carteret Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-19
Moore Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2024-05-29
Carteret Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2024-05-07
Carteret Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2024-05-04
Carteret Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Bo Sullivan on 2023-06-13
Scotland Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Erich Hofmann, Jesse Anderson on 2023-05-22
New Hanover Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2023-05-17
Carteret Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2022-08-17
Carteret Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: J. A. Anderson on 2022-06-30
New Hanover Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Bo Sullivan on 2022-05-31
Moore Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Bo Sullivan on 2022-05-31
Moore Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2022-05-23
Carteret Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: Morgan Freese on 2022-05-19
New Hanover Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Bo Sullivan and Steve Hall on 2021-06-08
Scotland Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2021-05-27
Carteret Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: Steve Hall on 2019-06-01
Stokes Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: Julie Tuttle on 2016-08-28
Chatham Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: ASH on 2011-07-07
Moore Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: E. Corey, C. Helms, M. Flanagan on 2006-10-12
Columbus Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: Newman, Randy on 2006-06-22
Carteret Co.
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Monoleuca semifasciaRecorded by: Newman, Randy on 2004-07-06
Carteret Co.
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