Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Crambidae Members:	Marasmia Members:	18 NC Records

Marasmia cochrusalis (Walker, 1859) - Acrobat Moth

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Pyraloidea

Family:
Crambidae

Subfamily:
Spilomelinae

P3 Number:
80a0998

MONA Number:
5289.00

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions:

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

Adult Markings: The head and thorax of this species are medium brown. The forewing ground color varies from dull white to pale yellowish-brown and is dusted with darker brown. The heaviest dusting occurs along the costa and subcostal region from the wing base to the postmedial line, and in the subterminal area between the subterminal line and the termen. The orbicular spot is missing or obscure, while the reniform is represented as a short, dark-brown to blackish arc. The antemedian line is outwardly curved, and the postmedial is broken in the middle. It begins on the costa as a black spot at around three-fourths the wing length that projects inward as an outwardly bowed line. At the other end of the postmedial line is a straight portion that projects from near the middle of the inner margin obliquely, and terminates just before reaching the reniform. The connecting piece that is often present in related species between the bowed and straight segments is usually obscure or missing. A subterminal line is present immediately behind the postmedial line on the bowed section, with a whitish, narrow gap between the two. The hindwing is generally similar, with a prominent dark brown antemedial line and a postmedial line that extends from the costa to the middle of the wing. The fringe on both the forewing and hindwing is dull white with a dark basal line that parallels an adjoining dark terminal line to produce a double line.

Marasmia cochrusalis is similar to M. trapezalis, with the most obvious difference being that the gap between the postmedial line and subterminal line on the forewing is much wider in the latter. The hindwing postmedial line also tends to align with the forewing subterminal line in M. cochrusalis and with the postmedial line in M. trapezalis. The latter species has not been documented in North Carolina, but could in the future since there are records from South Carolina and as far north as southern New York.

Adult Structural Features: See images below.

Structural photos

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

Immatures and Development: The larval life history is undocumented.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: This is a wide-ranging species that occurs from Central America and the West Indies northward to eastern North America where it is mostly found in Coastal Plain habitats from southern Texas eastward across the Gulf Coast states to Florida, and northward to New Jersey and Rhode Island. There is also one isolated record from Oklahoma. As of 2023, we have a single record from the eastern Piedmont, with the remainder from the Coastal Plain. It is uncertain if this species is a reproducing resident, or simply a freeze-intolerant species that appears in North Carolina due to long-distance dispersal from Florida or other southern sites.

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 fly year-round in Florida and from March through December in other southern states. The flight season is much more abbreviated (June through August) in the northern part of the range. As of 2023, we have records from late-May through late-October.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Nearly all of our records are from open, grassy habitats, with most coming from xeric habitats in the Sandhills.

Larval Host Plants: The hosts are poorly documented, but members of this genus appear to specialize on grasses. The larvae of Marasmia cochrusalis have been recorded on Corn and Sugarcane (Robinson et al., 2010). - View

Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.

Wikipedia

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: [GNR] SNR

State Protection:

Comments: This is primarily a tropical and Floridian species whose status as a resident in North Carolina still needs to be established.

Photo Gallery for Marasmia cochrusalis - Acrobat Moth

Photos: 14

	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-10-24 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-08-28 Moore Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rob Van Epps, Kevin Metcalf on 2025-07-20 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rob Van Epps, Kevin Metcalf on 2025-07-20 Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rob Van Epps, Kevin Metcalf on 2025-07-20 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-05-24 Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-10-04 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-10-04 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-10-27 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-09-30 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-09-30 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Bo Sullivan, and Steve Hall on 2022-07-24 Moore Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2022-07-23 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: J.B. Sullivan on 2021-06-07 Scotland Co. Comment: