Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Crambidae Members:	Herpetogramma Members:	140 NC Records

Herpetogramma thestealis (Walker, 1859) - Zigzag Herpetogramma

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Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Pyraloidea

Family:
Crambidae

Subfamily:
Pyraustinae

Tribe:
Spilomelini

P3 Number:
80a1027

MONA Number:
5277.00

MONA Synonym:
Herpetogramma abdominalis

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. In particular, H. abdominalis is a previously recognized species that occurs in North Carolina, but is now treated as a junior synonym of H. thestealis.

Species Status: "In all these, females are much more difficult" (Scholtens, 2017).

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Beadle and Leckie (2012)

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

Technical Description, Adults: Solis (2010)

Adult Markings: The following description is based in part on that of Handfield and Handfield (2021). The head, thorax, and abdomen are brown, with the abdomen having a narrow white crossband on the posterior margin of each segment. The ground color of the wings is white and is overlain with a complex pattern of dark-brown marks that are clean-cut. The costa of the forewing has a brown shading that extends from the base to the apex. The terminal line is dark brown, and the fringe varies from whitish to light brown with darker spotting near the base on each vein. A white patch is located between the dark-brown, round, orbicular spot and the dark-brown rectangular reniform spot, while a similar patch occurs between the reniform spot and the postmedial line. A short, brown, 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 strikes the costa just anterior to the orbicular spot. The postmedial line projects inward from the costa at around three-fourths the wing length where it meets an outwardly bulged section with three blunt 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 obliquely inwards to the inner margin where it sometimes joins the antemedial line. A prominent, toothed, dark-brown subterminal line follows the postmedial line and separates a whitish zone between the postmedial and subterminal lines from a zone of heavy brown dusting between the subterminal line and the outer margin. The hindwing has reduced brown dusting in the subterminal region, lacks the antemedial line, and has a discal spot. The postmedial line and subterminal lines are similar to the ones on the forewing. The fringe is white with brown spotting at the base, and there is a well-defined dark brown terminal line.

Handfield and Handfield (2021) reported that a light form exists that is similar to the dark form described above, except that the lines, markings, and wings are paler, especially in the subterminal area, which is yellowish-brown and contrasts with the gray-brown terminal line and deeply-scalloped subterminal line.

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 dark, inward-projecting 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. Finally, the inwardly projecting teeth on the subterminal line are finally tapered and less blunt than those of H. pertextalis. Size differences are also helpful, with H. thestealis being significantly larger than H. pertextalis (wingspan 30-35 mm versus 21-23 mm).

Wingspan: 30–35 mm for males; 29–31 mm for females (Handfield and Handfield, 2021); 28-35 mm (Forbes, 1923).

Adult Structural Features: Handfield and Handfield (2011) provide descriptions and illustrations of the male and female genitalia.

Genitalia and other structural photos

Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].

Immatures and Development: Very little is known about the larval life history. The larvae are leaf tiers or leaf folders. Depending on the host plant, they may either fold a single leaf over to form a feeding shelter, or individually bundle together two or more leaves to form a shelter. The larva feeds in or or near the shelter and produces a messy mass of dark frass. John Petranka found a shelter in Orange County that was constructed of several leaves of Hypericum punctatum that were tied together. The larva fed within the shelter, with the pupal stage lasting about two weeks.

The late instar larvae have dirty, yellowish-green bodies and a pale, yellowish head capsule. The prothoracic shield has a pair of large dark-brown to blackish lateral spots that are followed by a two pairs of smaller dark-brown spots on the first body segment, with each pair often touching each other to resemble the figure '8'.

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

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Herpetogramma thestealis is widely distributed across North America, including in California, the Pacific Northwest, the eastern U.S. and across most of southern Canada from British Columbia eastward to Prince Edward Island. In the eastern U.S., the range extends from Maine to southern Florida, and westward to Louisiana, eastern Oklahoma, eastern Kansas, eastern Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota. This species occurs statewide in North Carolina, but is relatively uncommon in the Coastal Plain.

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 have been observed from April through October in different areas of the range. As of 2024, our records extend from early-May through early-October, with a seasonal peak in July through mid-August.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Many of our records are from mesic hardwood forests, with coastal populations often associated with bottomland forests.

Larval Host Plants: This species is polyphagous and feeds mostly on woody species, but occasionally uses forbs (Forbes, 1923; Covell, 1984; Heppner, 2007; Solis, 2008, 2010; Handfield and Handfield, 2011, 2021; Robinson et al., 2010; Beadle and Leckie, 2012). The reported hosts include American Spikenard (Aralia racemosa), American Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens), Coastal Sweet-pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia), hazelnut (Corylus sp.), Mountain Silverbell (Halesia tetraptera), Common Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), coneflowers (Rudbeckia) and American Basswood (Tilia americana). As of 2024, our only feeding records are for Spotted St. John's-wort (Hypericum punctatum) and Mountain Silverbell. - 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 polyphagous species is found statewide and appears to be reasonably secure.

Photo Gallery for Herpetogramma thestealis - Zigzag Herpetogramma

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

	Recorded by: R. Teper, David George, P. Coin, K. Bischof on 2025-09-15 Transylvania Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson, John F. Jarvis on 2025-09-05 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-31 Rowan Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Marilyn Westphal on 2025-08-29 Henderson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-08-29 Moore Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2025-08-16 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, Larry Chen, Sarah Toner, Kaitlyn Elliott on 2025-08-16 Richmond Co. Comment: Possibly an undeceived species from the Sandhills.		Recorded by: David George, Kevin Bischof, Rich Teper, Patrick Coin on 2025-08-16 Transylvania Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-15 Ashe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-12 Ashe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin and Marilyn Westphal. on 2025-08-09 Henderson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Marilyn Westphal on 2025-08-06 Henderson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-08-05 Moore Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-07-29 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2025-07-02 Transylvania Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2025-06-29 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, David Cheng, Patrick Coin on 2025-06-29 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George on 2025-06-29 Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, David Bradley, Becky Watkins, David Cheng, Michelle Lotker, Tracy Feldman, et al. on 2025-06-28 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-24 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George, Larry Chen, Sarah Toner, Joye Zhou on 2025-06-20 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-28 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-08-27 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Kevin Bischof on 2024-08-07 Transylvania Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-07-28 McDowell Co. Comment: An adult that was reared from a leaf fold on Mountain Silverbells (Halesia tetraptera); see companion photos of the larva and leaf fold from 2024-07-07.		Recorded by: David George on 2024-07-15 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-07-14 Watauga Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-07-11 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-07-07 McDowell Co. Comment: A leaf roll unwrapped to reveal the larva and frass (see companion photo of the reared adult from 2024-07-28).		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-07-07 McDowell Co. Comment: A leaf roll on Mountain Silverbell (Halesia tetraptera); see larva and reared adult from 2024-07-07 and 2024-07-28.