Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFCrambidae Members: Conchylodes Members: 84 NC Records

Conchylodes ovulalis (Guenée, 1854) - Zebra Conchylodes

Conchylodes ovulalisConchylodes ovulalisConchylodes ovulalis
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Pyraloidea		 Family:
Crambidae		Subfamily:
Pyraustinae		Tribe:
Spilomelini		P3 Number:
80a0871		 MONA Number:
5292.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: This is a very distinctively marked species with all of the wings having a silvery white ground color that is overlain with strongly contrasting dark brown to blackish markings that resemble those of a zebra. These include thick basal and antemedial lines that precede the orbicular spot, and a reniform spot that is white in the middle. The postmedial line takes a meandering course that begins on the costa at around three-fourths the wing length, then runs across most of the wing before looping back to the reniform spot. From there it loops back again to the inner margin. Following this is a complete subterminal line and a relatively narrow terminal line. The hindwing has a series of five dark brown lines that converge towards the anal angle. The fringe of the forewings and hindwings is similar in being white with a light brown basal line that parallels the terminal line. The abdomen is also silvery white, with contrasting bold dark crossbands and a yellowish-orange patch with brown central marks on the terminal segments.
Wingspan: 23-30 mm (Leckie and Beadle, 2018).
Adult ID Requirements: Unmistakable and widely known.
Immatures and Development: The larvae feed on the foliage of broadleaf plants such as Annual Ragweed. Details of the larval life history are lacking, but the larvae are known to feed on leaves. The last instar rolls a leaf or portion of a leaf and pupates within a cocoon inside the shelter. The mature larvae have a translucent, greenish body with a whitish, longitudinal, dorsal stripe on each side. The head is light yellowish-green and unmarked.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Conchylodes ovulalis is found in northwestern South America, Central America, and eastern North America. It has been observed in Ontario, and in the U.S. from Massachusetts southward to central Florida, and westward to central Texas, Oklahoma, central Kansas, southern Illinois and eastern Nebraska. 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.
Conchylodes ovulalisAlamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: adults.
Flight Comments: The adults fly from March through November in different areas of the range. As of 2023, our records extend from early May through late-August. Populations in North Carolina appear to have two generations per year.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Our records are mostly from fragmented landscapes with woods, early successional habitats and other disturbed habitats. Many of our records are from semi-wooded residential neighborhoods.
Larval Host Plants: The hosts are rather poorly documented, with most of the reported hosts being members of the Asteraceae (Robinson et al., 2010; Beadle and Leckie, 2018; BugGuide). The reported hosts include Annual Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia), Annual Marsh-elder (Iva annua) and a sunflower (Helianthus). Forbes (1923) stated "probably on sycamore" but that seems unlikely. - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S4-S5]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: This is a fairly common species in the Piedmont and Blue Ridge and appears to be reasonably secure.

 Photo Gallery for Conchylodes ovulalis - Zebra Conchylodes

 65 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2025-08-16
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-14
Ashe Co.
Comment:
Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2025-08-11
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2025-04-28
Pender Co.
Comment:
Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-08-09
Mitchell Co.
Comment: 		Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-08-04
Mitchell Co.
Comment:
Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Stephen Dunn on 2024-08-02
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Patrick Coin, Steve Hall, Carol Tingley, Tom Howard on 2024-07-27
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-07-22
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: David George on 2024-07-20
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: David George on 2024-07-15
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2024-07-11
Graham Co.
Comment:
Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-07-08
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: David George on 2024-07-04
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Stephen Dunn on 2024-06-29
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-06-23
Yancey Co.
Comment:
Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-06-17
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-06-17
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-05-25
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2024-05-21
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: David George, Rich Teper on 2024-05-13
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-05-09
Pender Co.
Comment:
Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-09
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-06-27
Madison Co.
Comment:
Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-06-19
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2023-05-30
Transylvania Co.
Comment:
Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2023-05-04
Pender Co.
Comment: 		Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2023-05-02
Pender Co.
Comment:
Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2022-08-07
Cabarrus Co.
Comment: 		Conchylodes ovulalis
Recorded by: David George on 2022-07-02
Chatham Co.
Comment: