Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFLimacodidae Members: Euclea Members: 1 NC Records

Euclea nanina Dyar, 1899 - Nanina Oak-Slug Moth

Euclea nanina
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Zygaenoidea		 Family:
Limacodidae		P3 Number:
57a0090		 MONA Number:
4697.10
Comments: One of five species in this genus that have been recorded in North America, possibly two of which occur in North Carolina.
Species Status: Barcoding indicates that Florida populations of E. nanina are well separated from E. delphinii, but it is unclear whether they hybridize with E. delphinii elsewhere, including North Carolina (Marc Epstein, pers. comm. to Bo Sullivan, 2015). More work is needed to determine whether there are any diagnostic characters that can be used to identify this species outside of Florida.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: This species is similar to Euclea delphinii but is smaller and has rounder green spots. Dyar (1891) described this species (originally as E. nana) as having purplish brown forewings with a small round discal spot and two rounded pea-green patches, the subapical patch being nearly circular and the sub-basal patch larger and not deeply excavated externally. Both of the green patches are followed by orange ferruginous spots that are broken on the veins. In a key given in Neumoegen and Dyar (1894), the shape of the spots is the key trait separating E. nanina and E. delphinii, with the spots being rounded (the discal spot included) in E. nanina and angular in E. delphinii (the discal spot being elongated). This description was repeated by Kimball (1965), which is the only relatively recent description we have found (an illustration is also provided). In North Carolina, the large, green, sub-basal spot of E. nanina is broader and rounded on the anterior end versus being relatively narrow and more angular on E. delphinii. Because we are unsure of the degree of overlap in these features, any specimens that appear to match the description of E. nanina should be collected and submitted for genetic and more detailed morphological analysis.
Wingspan: 15 mm (Neumoegen and Dyar, 1894; they give the expanse for E. delphinii as 17-22 mm).
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable only by close inspection of structural features or by DNA analysis.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: As of 2025, we only have a single record from Halifax County.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Euclea naninaAlamance 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: Host plants are apparently unknown.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks:
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Euclea nanina - Nanina Oak-Slug Moth

Photos: 2
Euclea naninaRecorded by: Patrick Coin on 2013-07-11
Halifax Co.
Comment: BugGuide: Photo#1254252rnrnhttps://bugguide.net/node/view/1254252		Euclea naninaRecorded by: Patrick Coin on 2013-07-11
Halifax Co.
Comment: