Moths of North Carolina
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Common Name:
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Framinghamia Members:
10 NC Records

Framinghamia helvalis (Walker, 1859) - No Common Name

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Pyraloidea Family: CrambidaeSubfamily: PyraustinaeTribe: SpilomeliniP3 Number: 801173.00 MONA Number: 5262.00
Comments: Framinghamia is a monotypic, North American genus named after its type locality, Framingham, Massachussets (Wikipedia, accessed 2022-08-01).
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The ground color is bright lemon yellow with broad, contrasting rusty markings; the costa is yellow-brown (Forbes, 1923, as Loxostege helvalis). The lines are single, clean-cut, yellow-brown. The antemedian is excurved and the postmedian is evenly sinuate and broadly excurved towards the costa but possesses a blunt inward tooth at the fold. The subterminal line is absent but an even terminal line is present. In a separate description of Phlyctaenia helvalis, Forbes describes the orbicular as ring-shaped and the reniform as a double bar. Those descriptions seem to fit Framinghamia better than his descriptions he gave for Loxostege helvalis, as a dot and curved bar respectively. Forbes describes the hindwings as paler with a postmedian and terminal line but no subterminal. Anania extricalis is similar in overall appearance but is tan rather than yellow and has a more sharply dentate postmedian; the orbicular and discocellular spots are single rather than double (McGinnis, BugGuide, accessed 2022-08-01).
Wingspan: 15-20 mm (Forbes, 1923)
Adult Structural Features: The wings are non-falcate (Forbes, 1923). The front is definitely conical, usually with a sharp point.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
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
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Larval Host Plants: Forbes described Phlyctaenia helvalis as a leaf roller of poplars and Godfrey et al. (1987) found it on Eastern Cottonwood. Prentice (1966) also reported it using Lombardy Poplar and Robinson et al. ( 2010) listed willow in addition to poplars.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Poplar Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S2S4
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Framinghamia helvalis - No common name

Photos: 5

Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-07-25
Greene Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-07-18
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-07-17
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Steve Hall on 2022-06-05
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-04-30
Wake Co.
Comment: