Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFCrambidae Members: Ecpyrrhorrhoe Members: 17 NC Records

Ecpyrrhorrhoe puralis South, 1901 - No Common Name

Ecpyrrhorrhoe puralisEcpyrrhorrhoe puralisEcpyrrhorrhoe puralis
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Pyraloidea		 Family:
Crambidae		Subfamily:
Pyraustinae		Tribe:
Pyraustini		P3 Number:
80a0850		 MONA Number:
4973.10
Species Status: Ecpyrrhorrhoe puralis was introduced from southeast Asia into the eastern United States probably in the 1990s (Solis et al., 2010). It has since spread over much of the range of its host plant, the introduced Princess-tree (Paulownia tomentosa).
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Munroe (1976)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: This species resembles several of our Hahncappsia species, but is significantly larger, lacks dark shading in the subterminal area, has uniquely colored forelegs, and has very different male genitalia (Solis et al. 2010). The forewing has a yellowish-buff ground color with transverse lines that are yellowish-brown. The antemedial line is smoothly excurved. The postmedial line extends from the inner margin as a slightly waved and weakly oblique line, then angles outward at around one-third the wing depth to run parallel to the inner margin for a short distance. It then joins an outwardly bowed and denticulate region on the costal half. The reniform is shaped like a small arc and nearly touches the postmedial line. The hindwing is concolorous with the forewing. Both the antemedial and postmedial lines are relatively straight and incomplete. The forelegs are distinctively patterned, with an extensive region of yellowish-buff near the base that is followed by a patch of chestnut brown on an otherwise pure white ground color.
Forewing Length: mean = 12.8 mm (n = 14) for females; 12.5 mm (n = 10) for males (Solis et al., 2010).
Adult Structural Features: Solis et al. (2010) have images of the male and female genitalia.
Genitalia and other structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The larvae feed only on the Princess-tree (Paulownia tomentosa), which is an introduced tree from southeast Asia. The larvae are rather nondescript with a dull whitish color. Pupation occurs in a thin, whitish cocoon.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: This species is found in the eastern U.S. from Massachusetts and New York southwestward through the Appalachian region to central Florida and Alabama, and westward to Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio. Populations have also been documented in Oregon (Solis et al., 2010). Local populations are patchily distributed due to their reliance of Paulownia tomentosa as a host plant. As of 2023, we have records from both lower-elevation sites in the Blue Ridge and the eastern Piedmont.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Ecpyrrhorrhoe puralisAlamance 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.