Moths of North Carolina
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Significant Contributors
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Family (Alpha):
ACROLEPIIDAE-
ADELIDAE-
AMPHISBATIDAE-
AUTOSTICHIDAE-
BATRACHEDRIDAE-
BEDELLIIDAE-
BLASTOBASIDAE-
BOMBYCIDAE-
BUCCULATRICIDAE-
CARPOSINIDAE-
CHOREUTIDAE-
COLEOPHORIDAE-
COSMOPTERIGIDAE-
COSSIDAE-
CRAMBIDAE-
DEPRESSARIIDAE-
DREPANIDAE-
ELACHISTIDAE-
EPERMENIIDAE-
EPIPYROPIDAE-
EREBIDAE-Erebid Moths
ERIOCRANIIDAE-
EUTELIIDAE-
GALACTICIDAE-
GELECHIIDAE-
GEOMETRIDAE-
GLYPHIDOCERIDAE-
GLYPHIPTERIGIDAE-
GRACILLARIIDAE-
HELIOZELIDAE-
HEPIALIDAE-
HYBLAEIDAE-
INCURVARIIDAE-
LASIOCAMPIDAE-
LECITHOCERIDAE-Long-horned Moths
LIMACODIDAE-
LYONETIIDAE-
MEGALOPYGIDAE-Flannel Moths
MICROPTERIGIDAE-
MIMALLONIDAE-
MOMPHIDAE-Mompha Moths
NEPTICULIDAE-
NOCTUIDAE-Owlet Moths
NOLIDAE-
NOTODONTIDAE-
OECOPHORIDAE-
OPOSTEGIDAE-
PELEOPODIDAE-
PLUTELLIDAE-
PRODOXIDAE-
PSYCHIDAE-Bagworm Moths
PTEROPHORIDAE-
PYRALIDAE-
SATURNIIDAE-Saturniids
SCHRECKENSTEINIIDAE-
SESIIDAE-
SPHINGIDAE-Sphinx Moths
THYATIRIDAE-
THYRIDIDAE-
TINEIDAE-
TISCHERIIDAE-
TORTRICIDAE-
URANIIDAE-
URODIDAE-
XYLORYCTIDAE-
YPONOMEUTIDAE-
YPSOLOPHIDAE-
ZYGAENIDAE-
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Crambidae Members:
Achyra rantalis
Aethiophysa consimilis
Aethiophysa invisalis
Aethiophysa unidentified species
Agriphila ruricolellus
Agriphila vulgivagellus
Anageshna primordialis
Anania coronata complex
Anania extricalis
Anania funebris
Anania leuschneri
Anania mysippusalis
Anania plectilis
Anania tennesseensis
Anania tertialis
Anania unidentified species
Apogeshna stenialis
Arequipa turbatella
Argyria gonogramma
Argyria nummulalis
Argyria rufisignella
Ategumia ebulealis
Blepharomastix ranalis
Carectocultus dominicki
Carectocultus perstrialis
Catoptria latiradiellus
Chalcoela iphitalis
Chalcoela pegasalis
Chilo demotella
Chilo plejadellus
Choristostigma roseopennalis
Chrysendeton imitabilis
Chrysendeton medicinalis
Chrysoteuchia topiarius
Chrysoteuchia unidentified species
Colomychus talis
Conchylodes ovulalis
Condylorrhiza vestigialis
Crambini unidentified species
Crambus agitatellus
Crambus ainslieellus
Crambus albellus
Crambus braunellus
Crambus girardellus
Crambus laqueatellus
Crambus leachellus
Crambus multilinellus
Crambus pascuella
Crambus praefectellus
Crambus quinquareatus
Crambus saltuellus
Crambus sanfordellus
Crambus satrapellus
Crambus unidentified species
Crambus youngellus
Crocidophora pustuliferalis
Crocidophora serratissimalis
Crocidophora tuberculalis
Daulia magdalena
Desmia funeralis
Desmia maculalis
Desmia subdivisalis
Desmia unidentified species
Diacme adipaloides
Diacme elealis
Diacme unidentified species
Diaphania costata
Diaphania hyalinata
Diaphania nitidalis
Diasemiodes janassialis
Diasemiodes nigralis
Diasemiopsis leodocusalis
Diastictis argyralis
Diastictis baccatalis
Diastictis pseudargyralis
Diastictis unidentified species
Diastictis ventralis
Diathrausta harlequinalis
Diathrausta reconditalis
Diatraea crambidoides
Diatraea evanescens
Diatraea lisetta
Diatraea unidentified species
Dicymolomia julianalis
Donacaula aquilellus
Donacaula dispersellus
Donacaula longirostrallus
Donacaula maximellus
Donacaula melinellus
Donacaula nitidellus
Donacaula roscidellus
Donacaula sordidellus
Donacaula tripunctellus
Donacaula unidentified species
Donacaula unipunctellus
Duponchelia fovealis
Ecpyrrhorrhoe puralis
Elophila atlantica
Elophila faulalis
Elophila gyralis
Elophila icciusalis
Elophila nebulosalis
Elophila obliteralis
Elophila tinealis
Eoparargyractis irroratalis
Eoparargyractis plevie
Eoparargyractis unidentified species
Eoreuma densellus
Epina dichromella
Epipagis fenestralis
Euchromius ocellea
Eudonia alpina
Eudonia heterosalis
Eudonia strigalis
Eudonia unidentified species
Eulepte anticostalis
Eustixia pupula
Evergestis pallidata
Evergestis rimosalis
Evergestis unimacula
Fissicrambus mutabilis
Fissicrambus profanellus
Fissicrambus unidentified species
Framinghamia helvalis
Fumibotys fumalis
Geshna cannalis
Glaphyria basiflavalis
Glaphyria cappsi
Glaphyria fulminalis
Glaphyria glaphyralis
Glaphyria peremptalis
Glaphyria sesquistrialis
Glyphodes pyloalis
Glyphodes sibillalis
Hahncappsia mancalis
Hahncappsia marculenta
Hahncappsia neobliteralis
Hahncappsia neomarculenta
Hahncappsia unidentified species
Haimbachia albescens
Haimbachia placidellus
Haimbachia squamulellus
Hellula phidilealis
Hellula rogatalis
Helvibotys helvialis
Helvibotys pucilla
Herpetogramma aeglealis
Herpetogramma bipunctalis
Herpetogramma centrostrigalis
Herpetogramma fluctuosalis
Herpetogramma pertextalis
Herpetogramma phaeopteralis
Herpetogramma sphingealis
Herpetogramma theseusalis
Herpetogramma thestealis
Herpetogramma unidentified species
Hymenia perspectalis
Leptosteges flavifascialis
Leptosteges vestaliella
Lineodes fontella
Lipocosma adelalis
Lipocosma septa
Lipocosma sicalis
Lipocosma unidentified species
Lipocosmodes fuliginosalis
Loxostege cereralis
Loxostege commixtalis
Loxostegopsis merrickalis
Lygropia rivulalis
Lygropia tripunctata
Marasmia cochrusalis
Marasmia trapezalis
Mesolia incertellus
Microcrambus biguttellus
Microcrambus elegans
Microcrambus kimballi
Microcrambus minor
Microcrambus new species
Microcrambus unidentified species
Microtheoris ophionalis
Mimoschinia rufofascialis
Nacoleia charesalis
Nascia acutellus
Neargyractis slossonalis
Neocataclysta magnificalis
Neodactria caliginosellus
Neodactria luteolellus
Neodactria new species
Neodactria unidentified species
Neodactria zeellus
Neohelvibotys neohelvialis
Neohelvibotys polingi
Neohelvibotys unidentified species
Nephrogramma reniculalis
Nomophila nearctica
Oenobotys vinotinctalis
Ostrinia multispinosa
Ostrinia nubilalis
Ostrinia obumbratalis
Ostrinia penitalis
Ostrinia unidentified species
Palpita aenescentalis
Palpita arsaltealis
Palpita freemanalis
Palpita illibalis
Palpita magniferalis
Palpita maritima
Palpita quadristigmalis
Palpita unidentified species
Pantographa limata
Parapediasia decorellus
Parapediasia teterrellus
Parapoynx allionealis
Parapoynx maculalis
Parapoynx obscuralis
Parapoynx seminealis
Patania silicalis
Pediasia trisecta
Perispasta caeculalis
Petrophila bifascialis
Petrophila canadensis
Petrophila fulicalis
Petrophila unidentified species
Phaedropsis stictigramma
Pilocrocis ramentalis
Polygrammodes flavidalis
Polygrammodes oxydalis
Prionapteryx achatina
Prionapteryx new species
Prionapteryx serpentella
Psara obscuralis
Pyrausta acrionalis
Pyrausta bicoloralis
Pyrausta demantrialis
Pyrausta fodinalis
Pyrausta generosa
Pyrausta homonymalis
Pyrausta inornatalis
Pyrausta inveterascalis
Pyrausta laticlavia
Pyrausta niveicilialis
Pyrausta orphisalis
Pyrausta phoenicealis
Pyrausta rubricalis
Pyrausta signatalis
Pyrausta subsequalis
Pyrausta tyralis
Pyraustinae unidentified species
Raphiptera argillaceellus
Rhectocraspeda periusalis
Rupela segrega
Rupela tinctella
Samea castellalis
Samea multiplicalis
Samea unidentified species
Saucrobotys futilalis
Scoparia basalis
Scoparia biplagialis
Scoparia cinereomedia
Scoparia dominicki
Scoparia penumbralis
Scoparia unidentified species
Sericoplaga externalis
Sitochroa palealis
Spoladea recurvalis
Syngamia florella
Terastia meticulosalis
Thaumatopsis edonis
Thaumatopsis floridella
Thopeutis forbesellus
Udea rubigalis
Undulambia striatalis
Uresiphita reversalis
Urola nivalis
Vaxi auratellus
Vaxi critica
Xanthophysa psychicalis
Xubida linearella
Xubida panalope
Xubida unidentified species
Ostrinia
Members:
Ostrinia multispinosa
Ostrinia nubilalis
Ostrinia obumbratalis
Ostrinia penitalis
Ostrinia unidentified species
15 NC Records
Ostrinia penitalis
(Grote, 1876) - American Lotus Borer Moth
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Pyraloidea
Family:
Crambidae
Subfamily:
Pyraustinae
Tribe:
Pyraustini
P3 Number:
801420.00
MONA Number:
4946.00
Comments:
This genus was recently revised by Yang et al. (2021), with fifteen species now described worldwide. Four species occur in North America and all occur in North Carolina. As described by Yang et al. (2021),
Ostrinia penitalis
is included in their Clade II, the Penitalis Species Group.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions:
Online Photographs:
MPG
,
BugGuide
,
iNaturalist
,
Google
,
BAMONA
,
GBIF
,
BOLD
Technical Description, Adults:
Forbes (1923); Munroe (1976)
Technical Description, Immature Stages:
Center et al. (2002)
Adult Markings:
This is a medium-small moth with a pale yellow to yellowish-brown ground color on the forewing. The wing markings and dusting are reddish brown, and both the antemedian and postmedian lines are dentate. The postmedial line extends inward from the inner margin a short distance before bluntly projecting outwards as a large tooth, then projecting inward to form a V-shape. From there, it continues to the costa as an outwardly bowed line with smaller teeth. The subterminal line consists of a diffuse dentate or zig-zag line that is sometimes reduced to a diffuse shaded region. The reniform is represented as a dark line or bar that runs nearly perpendicular to the costa; it is often followed by dark shading. The hindwing is much paler and has a short discal bar or spot in the middle of the wing that is followed by an even but dentate postmedial line that runs fairly straight across the wing, at least as far as the cell. A similarly even, dentate subterminal line is also present.
Ostrinia obumbratalis
is similar in size and pattern but has brownish rather than reddish markings. In addition, the short discal bar or spot in the middle of the wing that is present in
O. penitalis
is missing (Scholtens, 2017).
Ostrinia nubilalis
is also similar, but is brighter yellow and the face has two clear white lines on the sides of the front instead of straw yellow found in the other species (Forbes, 1923).
Crocidophora pustuliferalis
is also similar to
Ostrinia penitalis
, but the latter has a well-developed antemedial line and lacks a line of black dots on the termen. The males also lack a fovea.
Wingspan:
25 mm (Forbes, 1923)
Adult Structural Features:
Heinrich (1919) has illustrations of the male and female genitalia.
Adult ID Requirements:
Identifiable from photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].
Immatures and Development:
The following life history summary is based on Center et al.’s (2002) description when using the primary host, American Lotus (
Nelumbo lutea
). The females deposit egg masses with around 60 eggs on the upper surface of the lotus leaves. The hatchlings skeletonize the outer surface of the leaf and the young larvae anchor themselves to the leaf with silk threads that functions to reduce being dislodged by wind or wave action. They later feed on the surface within a depression beneath a silk net that serves as a protective shelter. Larvae that feed near the periphery of the leaf often roll the edge over to produce a shelter.
After the larvae reach a length of about 14 mm, they tunnel in the petiole and create a burrow that is usually less than 7 cm long. The burrow primarily serves as a refuge, with the larva feeding on the upper leaf surface within the zone that it can reach from its burrow. This causes radial scars that can be seen on the leaf surface adjacent to the leaf-petiole junction. Heavy feeding by the larvae can cause the leaves to turn brown and deteriorate and cause significant damage to lotus beds. The larvae also feed on developing seed heads and can impart significant losses to the developing seeds.
Larvae that occupy petiole burrows tend to be territorial and may physically defend the burrows against intruding larvae. Intruders will sometimes displace the resident larva and occupy its burrow. The larvae are excellent swimmers and displaced individuals can readily swim to nearby leaves or developing seed heads. Pupation takes place within the petiole. Prior to molting, the larva caps the burrow with a silken plug, then spins a strong cocoon and molts into the pupal stage. Occasionally, an intruder larva will chew through the plug, enter the burrow, destroy the upper end of the resident pupa, and occupy the burrow.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
Ostrinia penitalis
is widely distributed across the U.S. where it occurs in the Pacific Northwest, California, and the eastern U.S. It also occurs across much of southern Canada from British Columbia eastward to Quebec, and on several Carribean islands. In the eastern U.S., the range extends from New Hampshire and Connecticut southward to southern Florida, and westward to central Texas, central Oklahoma, Nebraska, South Dakota and eastern North Dakota. A few scattered records are also known from Colorado and Wyoming. As of 2023, we have records from all three physiographic provinces, with most from the northern half of the state.
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:
The adults have been observed nearly year-round in Florida and mostly from April through September elsewhere. As of 2023, our records extend from mid-April to mid-September.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Our records include several sites where ponds, canals, or sluggish waters are known to be present.
Larval Host Plants:
American Lotus (
Nelumbo lutea
) appears to be the primary host.
Ostrinia obumbratalis
is a closely related species that feeds on smartweeds and other plants. It was synonymized with
O. penitalis
in the past (the two are now treated as separate species), and this has been a source of confusion with regard to the actual hosts that are used by
O. penitalis
. -
View
Observation Methods:
The adults are attracted to lights.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for
General Cattail and Tall Grass Marshes
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:
Photo Gallery for
Ostrinia penitalis
- American Lotus Borer Moth
Photos: 10
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-04-09
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-09-20
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2022-08-14
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2022-08-14
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George on 2021-08-17
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: L. M. Carlson on 2019-08-12
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Paul Scharf on 2015-08-12
Warren Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: T. DeSantis on 2012-08-07
Camden Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Doug Blatny / Jackie Nelson on 2011-05-24
Ashe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: T. DeSantis on 2010-07-02
Camden Co.
Comment: