Moths of North Carolina

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Psara obscuralis (Lederer, 1863) - Obscure Psara

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Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Pyraloidea

Family:
Crambidae

Subfamily:
Pyraustinae

Tribe:
Spilomelini

P3 Number:
80a1044

MONA Number:
5268.00

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions:

Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD

Adult Markings: In this species the head, thorax, abdomen, and ground color of the forewing and hindwing are concolorous and typically a medium brown to yellowish-brown. All of the forewing marks are dark brown and include a mostly straight antemedial line that angles basally just before reaching the costa, a small and often inconspicuous orbicular spot, and a rectangular reniform spot with double bars projecting inward from the costa. The postmedial line projects inward from the costa at about four-fifths the wing length, then has a prominently toothed section with four or five teeth that bulge outward. From there the line projects basally to form a conspicuous loop whose apex nearly touches the reniform spot. The terminal end of the loop forms part of a conspicuous single tooth between the loop and the inner margin. The subterminal region often has diffuse dark shading between the veins, while the fringe is dark brown and adjoins a thin dark terminal line that is often broken. The hindwing is similar to the forewing, but lacks the antemedial line and is paler towards the base.

Psara obscuralis is sometimes confused with Patania silicalis, but the latter has a weakly toothed bulge on the postmedial line and the reniform is composed of a single line. It also resemble our Hahncappsia species, but the latter lack the prominent teeth on the postmedial bulge and have a diffuse, dark-brown, subterminal band that is missing on Psara obscuralis.

Wingspan: 19-23 mm (Leckie and Beadle, 2018).

Structural photos

Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.

Immatures and Development: The larvae appear to feed primarily on American Pokeweed where they loosely fold the leaves and bind them with silk strands to make shelters.The larvae consumed portions of the entire leaf, and mostly feed on tissue along the leaf margins. Ken Childs observed larvae in weakly folded poke leaves in Tennessee and noted that the larvae were only observed at night. They appeared to abandon the shelters and leave the plants during the day. The later instar larvae have translucent yellowish-green bodies that are unmarked. The head is light yellow with faint reddish-brown mottling, while the thoracic shield has a curved blackish bar on the distal edge of each side. The second thoracic segment has two black dots (pinacula). The larvae turn reddish immediately before pupating.

Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Psara obscuralis is found in the eastern U.S. from southern New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania westward to Indiana, Missouri, central Kansas and eastern Nebraska. The range extends southward to southern Texas, the Gulf Coast states, southern Florida and Georgia. Populations that extend from extreme southern Texas through Central America may represent a cryptic species based on BOLD data. This species occurs statewide in North Carolina, but is relatively uncommon in the Blue Ridge.

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
Immature 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 mostly from April through September farther north. As of 2023, our records range from early-May through late-November. Local populations appear to produce at least two generations per year in North Carolina.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: This species is commonly found in disturbed habitats and in fragmented landscapes, particularly where mesic woodland edges and moist clearings support American Pokeweed. Most of our records are from semi-wooded residential neighborhoods.

Larval Host Plants: The hosts are poorly documented but including a species of Amaranthus, Sacred Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), and American Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana; Heppner, 2007). American Pokeweed appears to be the primary host species based on several records from iNaturalist, BugGuide, and other internet resources. Ken Kneidel reared an adult in North Carolina from a larva in a leaf fold on American Pokeweed. The larvae also feed on Guinea Henweed (Petiveria alliacea) in Costa Rica, but the Central American populations of Psara obscuralis are genetically distinct and may represent a cryptic species. - View

Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.

Wikipedia

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S3-S4]

State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.

Comments: This species is fairly common throughout the state and appears to be reasonably secure given that it relies on American Pokeweed as a host plant.

Photo Gallery for Psara obscuralis - Obscure Psara

46 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2025-10-26 Orange Co. Comment: Found inside a weakly folded leaf of Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana).		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2025-10-26 Orange Co. Comment: Found inside a weakly folded leaf of Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana).
	Recorded by: Marilyn Westphal on 2025-08-06 Henderson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Melody McMichael on 2025-07-25 Forsyth Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-06-09 Moore Co. Comment:		Recorded by: F. Williams, S. Williams on 2024-09-13 Gates Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-06-28 Carteret Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-05-22 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-05-22 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-11-21 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2023-11-07 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-09-20 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2023-08-31 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-08-31 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-08-26 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2023-08-15 Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Caterpillar 21 mm long from a leaf fold on Phytolacca americana.
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2023-08-15 Mecklenburg Co. Comment: Caterpillar 21 mm long from a leaf fold on Phytolacca americana.		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2023-08-15 Mecklenburg Co. Comment: An occupied leaf fold on Poke; adult was reared.
	Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2023-07-31 Cabarrus Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2023-07-22 Cumberland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2023-06-09 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-03 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2023-05-31 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2022-08-19 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2022-08-05 Cabarrus Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-07-26 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-07-23 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-06-13 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-06-09 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2021-07-24 Cumberland Co. Comment: