Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFCrambidae Members: Palpita Members: 22 NC Records

Palpita illibalis (Hübner, 1818) - Inkblot Palpita

Palpita illibalisPalpita illibalisPalpita illibalisPalpita illibalis
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Pyraloidea		 Family:
Crambidae		Subfamily:
Pyraustinae		Tribe:
Spilomelini		P3 Number:
80a0984		 MONA Number:
5223.00
Comments: This is one of twelve species in this genus that have been recorded in North America north of Mexico (Scholtens and Solis, 2015). Munroe (1952) placed P. magniferalis in his 'Illibalis Species Group', which in North Carolina includes P. arsaltealis, P. magniferalis, P. freemanalis, and P. aenescentalis.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Munroe (1952)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Tyler (2020)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: This is a small white and brown mottled pyraustine. The ground color of both the forewings and hindwings is typically white, and often translucent, although some individuals have a light brownish shading. The orbicular and reniform spots on the forewing are dark and solid, with the wings also speckled with dark brown. Speckling along the costa can be almost solid, but is otherwise light and concentrated in the distal half (Munroe, 1952). The hindwings are also lightly speckled and possess a distinct dico-cellular spot. The legs are white, with dorsal and distal fuscous bands on the fore tibiae. The palps are fuscous above and pale below. Schotens (2017) notes that "there is plenty of possibility for confusion in these species. There are general trends in each, but a great deal of variation."
Forewing Length: 12-13 mm (Munroe, 1952)
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].
Immatures and Development: The larvae are often common on Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus) where they can cause minor issues with defoliation (J. Petranka, pers. obs.). The hatchlings often feed directly of the upper surfaces of leaves beneath a loosely webbed sheet of silk. As they age, each larva loosely folds the upper surface of a leaf and binds it with a loose silk web. It then feeds within the shelter on the leaf surface and mesophyll, but leaves the lower epidermis intact. The larvae may also bind two leaves together to form a feeding shelter (Tyler, 2020). Abundant blackish frass pellets are common inside the shelters. The leaves tend to curl and brown with age, and eventually fall off of the branches. Larvae that Jim Petranka held in captivity evacuated the leaves at maturity and pupated on artificial substrates beneath a thin webbing of silk. However, Tyler (2020) reported that pupation in a Louisiana population occurred within the leaf shelters.

The earliest instars are translucent green with an amber-colored head. The late instars are similar, but have two rows of black pinacula along each side. The dorsal row has crescent-shaped pinacula, with the lateral row much less so. The head is light amber-colored with an inconspicuous black streak on the lower side, while the thoracic segments approximate the body segments in terms of coloration and markings.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: The range is centered on the southeastern U.S. and extends from Pennsylvania and Ohio southward to southern Florida, and westward to eastern Texas, western Tennessee and Kentucky. As of 2023, our records are all from the Piedmont and lower elevations in the Blue Ridge.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Palpita illibalisAlamance 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.