Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFCrambidae Members: Pyrausta Members: 7 NC Records

Pyrausta inveterascalis Barnes & McDunnough, 1918 - No Common Name

Pyrausta inveterascalisPyrausta inveterascalisPyrausta inveterascalis
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Pyraloidea		 Family:
Crambidae		Subfamily:
Pyraustinae		Tribe:
Pyraustini		P3 Number:
80a0804		 MONA Number:
5036.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Munroe (1976)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The following description is based in part on that of Forbes (1923) and Munroe (1976). The head, thorax and abdomen are brown. The forewing ground color is dull crimson and is powdered to varying degrees with blackish scales. The ground is overlain with yellowish to whitish markings that include the antemedial line, which is well developed on the dorsal half, then terminates well before reaching the costa. The postmedial line consists of a subapical triangular patch, a dentate line that runs nearly perpendicular to the dorsal margin, and a middle section that is a line of 3-4 dots. A dull yellow terminal line is present that is concolorous with the fringe. The hindwing is brown with a weak, pale, postmedial line that terminates well before the costa. The fringe is pale yellow-fuscous. This species is similar to Pyrausta signatalis, but has a browner head and thorax, a prominent subapical patch, and a wider line on the portion of the postmedial line that extends from the dorsal margin.
Forewing Length: 6-8 mm (Munroe, 1976).
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The larvae are known to feed within the heads of mints (Munroe, 1976), but details of the life history are unreported.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Pyrausta inveterascalis is found in southern Ontario and the eastern U.S. from Pennsylvania southward to central Alabama, and westward to Kentucky, Missouri, Iowa and Illinois. There is one disjunct record from Oklahoma. As of 2023, all of our records are from lower-elevation sites in the Blue Ridge.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Pyrausta inveterascalisAlamance 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.
Flight Comments: The adults fly from May through July in different areas of the range. Local populations in North Carolina are univoltine, with all of our records as of 2023 from June.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Our record are mostly from mesic hardwood forests in the mountains, but it also occurs in glades, meadows, prairies and other open habitats that support mints.
Larval Host Plants: Munroe (1976) reported that the larvae feed on the seeds in Monarda flower heads. - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights. More information is needed on host use and the general life history of this species.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S2-S3]
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 relatively rare and restricted to the Blue Ridge where we have only three site records as of 2023.

 Photo Gallery for Pyrausta inveterascalis - None

Photos: 7
Pyrausta inveterascalisRecorded by: tom ward on 2022-06-10
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Pyrausta inveterascalisRecorded by: tom ward on 2022-06-09
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Pyrausta inveterascalisRecorded by: tom ward on 2021-06-20
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Pyrausta inveterascalisRecorded by: tom ward on 2021-06-15
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Pyrausta inveterascalisRecorded by: tom ward on 2021-06-12
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Pyrausta inveterascalisRecorded by: tom ward on 2021-06-12
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Pyrausta inveterascalisRecorded by: Merrill Lynch on 2015-06-30
Watauga Co.
Comment: