Moths of North Carolina
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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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Crambidae Members:
Achyra rantalis
Aethiophysa consimilis
Aethiophysa invisalis
Agriphila ruricolellus
Agriphila vulgivagellus
Anageshna primordialis
Anania coronata complex
Anania extricalis
Anania funebris
Anania leuschneri
Anania mysippusalis
Anania plectilis
Anania tennesseensis
Anania tertialis
Anania unidentified species
Apogeshna stenialis
Arequipa turbatella
Argyria gonogramma
Argyria nummulalis
Argyria rufisignella
Ategumia ebulealis
Blepharomastix ranalis
Carectocultus dominicki
Carectocultus perstrialis
Catoptria latiradiellus
Chalcoela iphitalis
Chalcoela pegasalis
Chilo demotella
Chilo plejadellus
Choristostigma roseopennalis
Chrysendeton imitabilis
Chrysendeton medicinalis
Chrysoteuchia topiarius
Chrysoteuchia unidentified species
Colomychus talis
Conchylodes ovulalis
Condylorrhiza vestigialis
Crambini unidentified species
Crambus agitatellus
Crambus ainslieellus
Crambus albellus
Crambus braunellus
Crambus girardellus
Crambus laqueatellus
Crambus leachellus
Crambus multilinellus
Crambus pascuella
Crambus praefectellus
Crambus quinquareatus
Crambus saltuellus
Crambus sanfordellus
Crambus satrapellus
Crambus unidentified species
Crambus youngellus
Crocidophora pustuliferalis
Crocidophora serratissimalis
Crocidophora tuberculalis
Daulia magdalena
Desmia funeralis
Desmia maculalis
Desmia subdivisalis
Desmia unidentified species
Diacme adipaloides
Diacme elealis
Diacme unidentified species
Diaphania costata
Diaphania hyalinata
Diaphania nitidalis
Diasemiodes janassialis
Diasemiodes nigralis
Diasemiopsis leodocusalis
Diastictis argyralis
Diastictis baccatalis
Diastictis pseudargyralis
Diastictis unidentified species
Diastictis ventralis
Diathrausta harlequinalis
Diathrausta reconditalis
Diatraea crambidoides
Diatraea evanescens
Diatraea lisetta
Diatraea unidentified species
Dicymolomia julianalis
Donacaula aquilellus
Donacaula dispersellus
Donacaula longirostrallus
Donacaula maximellus
Donacaula melinellus
Donacaula nitidellus
Donacaula roscidellus
Donacaula sordidellus
Donacaula tripunctellus
Donacaula unidentified species
Donacaula unipunctellus
Duponchelia fovealis
Ecpyrrhorrhoe puralis
Elophila atlantica
Elophila faulalis
Elophila gyralis
Elophila icciusalis
Elophila nebulosalis
Elophila obliteralis
Elophila tinealis
Eoparargyractis irroratalis
Eoparargyractis plevie
Eoparargyractis unidentified species
Eoreuma densellus
Epina dichromella
Epipagis fenestralis
Euchromius ocellea
Eudonia alpina
Eudonia heterosalis
Eudonia strigalis
Eudonia unidentified species
Eulepte anticostalis
Eustixia pupula
Evergestis pallidata
Evergestis rimosalis
Evergestis unimacula
Fissicrambus mutabilis
Fissicrambus profanellus
Fissicrambus unidentified species
Framinghamia helvalis
Fumibotys fumalis
Geshna cannalis
Glaphyria basiflavalis
Glaphyria cappsi
Glaphyria fulminalis
Glaphyria glaphyralis
Glaphyria peremptalis
Glaphyria sesquistrialis
Glyphodes pyloalis
Glyphodes sibillalis
Hahncappsia mancalis
Hahncappsia marculenta
Hahncappsia neobliteralis
Hahncappsia neomarculenta
Hahncappsia unidentified species
Haimbachia albescens
Haimbachia placidellus
Haimbachia squamulellus
Hellula phidilealis
Hellula rogatalis
Helvibotys helvialis
Helvibotys pucilla
Herpetogramma aeglealis
Herpetogramma bipunctalis
Herpetogramma centrostrigalis
Herpetogramma fluctuosalis
Herpetogramma pertextalis
Herpetogramma phaeopteralis
Herpetogramma sphingealis
Herpetogramma theseusalis
Herpetogramma thestealis
Herpetogramma unidentified species
Hymenia perspectalis
Leptosteges flavifascialis
Leptosteges vestaliella
Lineodes fontella
Lipocosma adelalis
Lipocosma septa
Lipocosma sicalis
Lipocosma unidentified species
Lipocosmodes fuliginosalis
Loxostege cereralis
Loxostege commixtalis
Loxostegopsis merrickalis
Lygropia rivulalis
Lygropia tripunctata
Marasmia cochrusalis
Marasmia trapezalis
Mesolia incertellus
Microcrambus biguttellus
Microcrambus elegans
Microcrambus kimballi
Microcrambus minor
Microcrambus new species
Microcrambus unidentified species
Microtheoris ophionalis
Mimoschinia rufofascialis
Nacoleia charesalis
Nascia acutellus
Neargyractis slossonalis
Neocataclysta magnificalis
Neodactria caliginosellus
Neodactria luteolellus
Neodactria new species
Neodactria unidentified species
Neodactria zeellus
Neohelvibotys neohelvialis
Neohelvibotys polingi
Neohelvibotys unidentified species
Nephrogramma reniculalis
Nomophila nearctica
Oenobotys vinotinctalis
Ostrinia multispinosa
Ostrinia nubilalis
Ostrinia obumbratalis
Ostrinia penitalis
Ostrinia unidentified species
Palpita aenescentalis
Palpita freemanalis
Palpita illibalis
Palpita magniferalis
Palpita maritima
Palpita quadristigmalis
Palpita unidentified species
Pantographa limata
Parapediasia decorellus
Parapediasia teterrellus
Parapoynx allionealis
Parapoynx maculalis
Parapoynx obscuralis
Parapoynx seminealis
Patania silicalis
Pediasia trisecta
Perispasta caeculalis
Petrophila bifascialis
Petrophila canadensis
Petrophila fulicalis
Petrophila unidentified species
Phaedropsis stictigramma
Pilocrocis ramentalis
Polygrammodes flavidalis
Polygrammodes oxydalis
Prionapteryx achatina
Prionapteryx new species
Prionapteryx serpentella
Psara obscuralis
Pyrausta acrionalis
Pyrausta bicoloralis
Pyrausta demantrialis
Pyrausta fodinalis
Pyrausta generosa
Pyrausta homonymalis
Pyrausta inornatalis
Pyrausta inveterascalis
Pyrausta laticlavia
Pyrausta niveicilialis
Pyrausta orphisalis
Pyrausta rubricalis
Pyrausta signatalis
Pyrausta subsequalis
Pyrausta tyralis
Pyraustinae unidentified species
Raphiptera argillaceellus
Rhectocraspeda periusalis
Rupela segrega
Rupela tinctella
Samea castellalis
Samea multiplicalis
Samea unidentified species
Saucrobotys futilalis
Scoparia basalis
Scoparia biplagialis
Scoparia cinereomedia
Scoparia dominicki
Scoparia penumbralis
Scoparia unidentified species
Sericoplaga externalis
Sitochroa palealis
Spoladea recurvalis
Syngamia florella
Thaumatopsis edonis
Thaumatopsis floridella
Thopeutis forbesellus
Udea rubigalis
Undulambia striatalis
Uresiphita reversalis
Urola nivalis
Vaxi auratellus
Vaxi critica
Xanthophysa psychicalis
Xubida linearella
Xubida panalope
Xubida unidentified species
Herpetogramma
Members:
Herpetogramma aeglealis
Herpetogramma bipunctalis
Herpetogramma centrostrigalis
Herpetogramma fluctuosalis
Herpetogramma pertextalis
Herpetogramma phaeopteralis
Herpetogramma sphingealis
Herpetogramma theseusalis
Herpetogramma thestealis
Herpetogramma unidentified species
147 NC Records
Herpetogramma pertextalis
(Lederer, 1863) - Bold-feathered Grass Moth
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Pyraloidea
Family:
Crambidae
Subfamily:
Pyraustinae
Tribe:
Spilomelini
P3 Number:
801197.00
MONA Number:
5275.00
Comments:
Over 20 species of
Herpetogramma
have been described from North America that are based mostly on external morphology. The most recent treatment consolidates these into only nine species (Solis, 2010) and all nine occur in North Carolina.
Species Status:
"An indication of size can be valuable" (Scholtens, 2017)
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions:
Beadle and Leckie (2012)
Online Photographs:
MPG
,
BugGuide
,
iNaturalist
,
Google
,
BAMONA
,
GBIF
,
BOLD
Technical Description, Adults:
Solis (2010)
Adult Markings:
The following description is based in part on that of Forbes (1923) and Handfield and Handfield (2021). The head, thorax, and abdomen are typically dull yellowish tan, with the abdomen having a narrow white crossband on the posterior margin of each segment. The ground color of the wings varies from dull white to light yellowish-tan and is overlain with a complex pattern of medium to dark-brown marks that are clean-cut. The costa of the forewing has a medium brownish shading that extends from the base to the postmedial line. The fringe varies from whitish to light brown with darker spotting near the base, and the terminal line is dark brown. A whitish patch is located between both the round orbicular and double-lined reniform spot, and between the reniform spot and postmedial line. A short, longitudinal dash is also usually evident between the orbicular and reniform, but displaced inward towards the middle of the wing.
The antemedial line is weakly sinuate and often rather obscure, while the postmedial is well defined. It projects inward from the costa at around three-fourths the wing length where it meets an outwardly bulged section with three teeth. From there it projects basally towards the orbicular spot for a short distance, then sharply angles away after approaching the reniform spot and runs nearly perpendicular to the inner margin. A prominent, toothed, dark-brown subterminal line follows the postmedial line and separates a cream-colored zone between the postmedial and subterminal lines from a slightly duller, brownish-cream zone between the subterminal line and the outer margin. The hindwing is concolorous with the forewing and has similar marks, including the fringe and prominent dark brown terminal line. The females tend to be more boldly marked than the males, with the ground color more yellowish white than creamy white.
Herpetogramma pertextalis
is similar to
H. thestealis
in terms of overall patterning, but the latter is darker overall, with a sharp contrast between the dark brown subterminal shade on the forewing and the whitish area between it and the postmedial line. The subterminal shade also noticeably widens as it approaches the costa, with the tooth next to the costa often touching or nearly touching the postmedial line.
Herpetogramma thestealis
also has a whitish ground color, versus a more light yellowish-tan ground in
H. pertextalis
, and often has a violet or bluish iridescent sheen that is lacking in
H. pertextalis
. Worn specimens of
H. pertextalis
are light colored but generally retain the overall patterning.
Wingspan:
21.5–23.0 mm for males and 23–24 mm for females (Handfield and Handfield, 2021).
Adult Structural Features:
Handfield and Handfield (2021) have descriptions and illustrations of the male and female genitalia.
Adult ID Requirements:
Identifiable from photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].
Immatures and Development:
The larvae feed on the foliage of several host species, including at least one fern and many broadleaf species such as
Clethra alnifolia
. They feed within conspicuous tubular-shaped leaf ties (Handfield and Handfield, 2021; BugGuide). The shelters are messy with large amounts of blackish frass and pupation occurs within the shelters. The older instars have dull yellowish-green bodies and rows of pinacula that are light brown and lightly pigmented. The head is amber-colored and the thoracic plate has two large blackish spots.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
Herpetogramma pertextalis
is found in eastern North America, including extreme southern Canada (Ontario; Quebec). In the U.S. the range extends from Maine southward to South Carolina, northern Georgia and the Florida Panhandle, and as far west as eastern Oklahoma, eastern Kansas, eastern Nebraska, and Minnesota. As of 2023, all of our records are from the Blue Ridge and Piedmont.
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 have been observed from April through October in different areas of the range. As of 2023, our records extend from early-May through late-October. Populations in North Carolina appear to produce two or three generations each year.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Local populations can be found in a variety of habitats, including mesic deciduous forests, forest edges and openings, and wooded residential neighborhoods.
Larval Host Plants:
The larvae are polyphagous and feed on both woody and herbaceous plants (Schaffner, 1959; Prentice, 1966; Godfrey et al., 1987; Robinson et al., 2010; Solis, 2010; Beadle and Leckie, 2012; Handfield and Handfield, 2021; BugGuide). The reported hosts include a Bracken Fern (
Pteridium
sp.; BugGuide) and broadleaf species that include Red Maple (
Acer rubrum
), Sugar Maple (
A. saccharum
), Eastern Columbine (
Aquilegia canadensis
), burdock (
Arctium
), Coastal Sweet-pepperbush (
Clethra alnifolia
), dogwoods (
Cornus
), fleabanes (
Erigeron
), Joe-Pye weeds (
Eutrochium
), Wild Strawberry (
Fragaria virginiana
), hollies (
Ilex
), ground cherries (
Physalis
), plantains (
Plantago
), buttercups (
Ranunculus
), brambles (
Rubus
), Canadian Black-snakeroot (
Sanicula canadensis
), goldenrods (
Solidago
), Meadow-rues (
Thalictrum
), American Basswood (
Tilia americana
), Red Clover (
Trifolium pratense
), American Elm (
Ulmus americana
), nettles (
Urtica
) and violets (
Viola
). -
View
Observation Methods:
The adults are attracted to lights and are occasionally found nectaring on wildflowers. More information is needed on the larval life history in North Carolina.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks:
GNR S4S5
State Protection:
Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:
This species is common in North Carolina and uses a wide diversity of host plants; it appears to be secure within the state.
Photo Gallery for
Herpetogramma pertextalis
- Bold-feathered Grass Moth
Only immatures are shown.
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-07-19
Madison Co.
Comment: This image shows a pupa and frass that are within rolled leaves of Eastern Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis). The pupa was collected on 19 July and the adult emerged on 29 July (see companion photo).
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-07-19
Madison Co.
Comment: This image shows a pupa and frass that are within rolled leaves of Eastern Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis). The pupa was collected on 19 July and the adult emerged on 29 July (see companion photo). A few of the leaves were removed to better reveal the pupa.
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-07-19
Madison Co.
Comment: An adult that emerged on 29 July from a pupa in Eastern Columbine (see companion photos).