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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Pyralidae Members:
Achroia grisella
Acrobasis amplexella
Acrobasis angusella
Acrobasis aurorella
Acrobasis betulella
Acrobasis betulivorella
Acrobasis carpinivorella
Acrobasis caryae
Acrobasis caryalbella
Acrobasis caryivorella
Acrobasis cirroferella
Acrobasis demotella
Acrobasis elyi
Acrobasis exsulella
Acrobasis indigenella
Acrobasis juglandis
Acrobasis latifasciella
Acrobasis minimella
Acrobasis new species near caryivorella
Acrobasis normella
Acrobasis nuxvorella
Acrobasis ostryella
Acrobasis palliolella
Acrobasis rubrifasciella
Acrobasis stigmella
Acrobasis sylviella
Acrobasis tumidulella
Acrobasis unidentified species
Acrobasis vaccinii
Actrix dissimulatrix
Actrix nyssaecolella
Actrix unidentified species
Adelphia petrella
Aglossa caprealis
Aglossa costiferalis
Aglossa cuprina
Aglossa disciferalis
Anacostia tribulella
Anadelosemia texanella
Aphomia fulminalis
Aphomia sociella
Aphomia terrenella
Aphomia unidentified species
Arta olivalis
Arta statalis
Atascosa glareosella
Atheloca subrufella
Basacallis tarachodes
Cabnia myronella
Cacotherapia unicoloralis
Cacotherapia unipuncta
Cadra cautella
Canarsia ulmiarrosorella
Caudellia apyrella
Clydonopteron sacculana
Coenochroa bipunctella
Condylolomia participialis
Dioryctria abietivorella
Dioryctria amatella
Dioryctria clarioralis
Dioryctria disclusa
Dioryctria ebeli
Dioryctria merkeli
Dioryctria pygmaeella
Dioryctria taedae
Dioryctria taedivorella
Dioryctria unidentified species
Dioryctria yatesi
Elasmopalpus lignosella
Ephestia columbiella
Ephestia elutella
Ephestia kuehniella
Ephestia unidentified species
Ephestiodes infimella
Ephestiodes unidentified species
Epipaschia superatalis
Etiella zinckenella
Eulogia ochrifrontella
Eurythmia hospitella
Euzophera habrella
Euzophera magnolialis
Euzophera ostricolorella
Euzophera semifuneralis
Euzophera unidentified species
Galasa nigrinodis
Galleria mellonella
Glyptocera consobrinella
Goya stictella
Heliades mulleolella
Homeosoma-Phycitodes unidentified species
Homoeosoma asylonnastes
Homoeosoma deceptorium
Homoeosoma electella
Homoeosoma pedionnastes
Homoeosoma stypticella
Homoeosoma unidentified species
Homosassa ella
Hypsopygia binodulalis
Hypsopygia costalis
Hypsopygia intermedialis
Hypsopygia n. sp.
Hypsopygia nostralis
Hypsopygia olinalis
Hypsopygia thymetusalis
Hypsopygia unidentified species
Immyrla nigrovittella
Laetilia coccidivora
Laetilia fiskeella
Laetilia myersella
Laetilia unidentified species
Lepidomys irrenosa
Macalla zelleri
Macrorrhinia endonephele
Macrorrhinia ochrella
Melitara prodenialis
Meroptera cviatella
Meroptera pravella
Monoptilota pergratialis
Moodna ostrinella
Moodna pallidostrinella
Omphalocera cariosa
Omphalocera munroei
Oneida lunulalis
Oreana unicolorella
Ortholepis jugosella
Palatka nymphaeella
Parachma ochracealis
Penthesilea sacculalis
Peoria approximella
Peoria bipartitella
Peoria floridella
Peoria insularis
Peoria longipalpella
Peoria luteicostella
Peoria roseotinctella
Phycitinae unidentified species
Phycitodes mucidella
Phycitodes unidentified species
Plodia interpunctella
Pococera aplastella
Pococera asperatella
Pococera baptisiella
Pococera expandens
Pococera humerella
Pococera maritimalis
Pococera melanogrammos
Pococera militella
Pococera near subcanalis
Pococera robustella
Pococera scortealis
Pococera subcanalis
Pococera unidentified species
Pyla fusca
Pyralis farinalis
Pyrausta phoenicealis
Quasisalebria atratella
Reynosa floscella
Ribua droozi
Salebriaria annulosella
Salebriaria carolynae
Salebriaria engeli
Salebriaria fasciata
Salebriaria new species (NC-1)
Salebriaria pumilella
Salebriaria rufimaculatella
Salebriaria squamopalpiella
Salebriaria tenebrosella
Salebriaria turpidella
Salebriaria unidentified species
Sciota celtidella
Sciota crassifasciella
Sciota rubrisparsella
Sciota subcaesiella
Sciota subfuscella
Sciota unidentified species
Sciota uvinella
Sciota vetustella
Sciota virgatella
Streptopalpia minusculalis
Stylopalpia scobiella
Tacoma feriella
Tallula atrifascialis
Tampa dimediatella
Tlascala reductella
Tosale oviplagalis
Tulsa finitella
Ulophora groteii
Varneria postremella
Vitula broweri
Vitula edmandsii
Vitula unidentified species
Wakulla carneella
Pyrausta
Members:
Pyrausta phoenicealis
1 NC Records
Pyrausta phoenicealis
(Hübner, 1818) - Phoenicean Pyrausta
No image for this species.
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Pyraloidea
Family:
Pyralidae
Subfamily:
Pyraustinae
P3 Number:
801529.00
MONA Number:
5049.00
Comments:
Pyrausta phoenicealis
(Hübner, 1818) has been confused and synonymized with
P. panopealis
in some publications prior to Munroe (1976), who removed it from synonymy based on small differences between the two (see Landry, 2015). Maes (2014) synonymized
P. panopealis
again after being unable to find any diagnostic feature to separate the two. Here, we only recognize
P. phoenicealis
as a valid species.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions:
Online Photographs:
MPG
,
BugGuide
,
iNaturalist
,
Google
,
BAMONA
,
GBIF
,
BOLD
Technical Description, Adults:
Munroe (1976)
Adult Markings:
This is a distinctively marked species that has contrasting, irregular bands on the outer two-thirds of the forewing. The basal third of the forewing can vary from yellowish-buff to dark reddish-brown. The area beyond the antemedial line consists of large, irregular, alternating regions of lighter and darker patterning. The antemedial line is followed by a light zone that is often contracted in the middle, while the postmedial line separates a darker zone basally from a lighter zone apically. A dark zone or band is present in the subterminal area. The coloration of the hindwing is generally similar, with the outer half having dark subterminal and medial bands that are separated by a lighter-colored band.
Forewing Length:
7-8 mm (Munroe, 1976).
Immatures and Development:
The larvae can be significant pests in greenhouse operations and cultivated crops. They damage plants by bundling leaves together with silk webbing and feeding on the leaves from within the shelter (Choi et al., 2008). The larvae pupate outside of the shelter, with the pupal stage in one study lasting around 10-11 days (Aguiar-Menezes et al., 2021).
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
Pyrausta phoenicealis
and
P. panopealis
are two very similar forms, with the latest treatment combining these into a single species (
P. phoenicealis
; see taxonomic comment above).
P. phoenicealis
is an agricultural pest and has been introduced to many parts of the world, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. Munroe (1976) believed that it is native to the southeastern U.S., but this has yet to be firmly established. In the U.S. it occurs from southern Indiana, southern Ohio and Kentucky southward to Alabama and southern Florida, and eastward to Georgia, South Carolina and coastal North Carolina. As of 2023, we have a single record of this species from Carteret Co. along the coast.
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 fly year-round in Florida and from April through August at more northern latitudes. As of 2023, our one record for the state is from early September.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Local populations are commonly found in greenhouse operations and cultivated fields, as well as natural habitats. In the U.S,. many records are from xeric habitats in the southeastern Coastal Plain, including our one record for North Carolina.
Larval Host Plants:
The larvae are polyphagous (Munroe, 1976; Eisner, 1990; Robinson et al., 2010; Aguiar-Menezes et al., 2021). Given that this species has a worldwide distribution, it undoubtedly use dozens of host plants. Aguiar-Menezes et al. (2021) listed host species from the Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, Malvaceae, Nyctaginaceae, Poaceae, Rosaceae and Sapindaceae. Some of the reported hosts that are relevant to the U.S. include Scrub Mint (
Dicerandra frutescens
), Elephant's-foot (
Elephantopus
sp.), Cotton (
Gossypium
), Common Sunflower (
Helianthus annuus
), Field Mint (
Mentha arvensis
), Bee-sage (
Mesosphaerum rugosum
) Sweet Basil (
Ocimum basilicum
), rice (
Oryza
sp.) and Beefsteak-plant (
Perilla frutescens
).
Observation Methods:
The adults are attracted to lights.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks:
GNR SU
State Protection:
Comments:
This species is found world-wide in tropical and subtropical regions. Its status in North Carolina in undetermined and needs additional study.