Moths of North Carolina

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Daulia magdalena (Fernald, 1892) - Glittering Magdalena Moth

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Pyraloidea

Family:
Crambidae

Subfamily:
Pyraustinae

Tribe:
Spilomelini

P3 Number:
80a0848

MONA Number:
5295.00

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions:

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

Technical Description, Adults: Fernald (1892)

Adult Markings: This is a distinctive species due to the pattern of metallic stripes on the forewing. The head, thorax and ground color of the forewings are concolorous and vary from a yellowish-clay color to light brown, with the thorax having a metallic stripe on each side. The forewing has complex patterning that include numerous silvery-metallic stripes that are edged on each side with a narrow line of black scales. The wing base has a prominent stripe that runs longitudinally to about one-third the wing length, then sharply angles to the inner margin. A second stripe originates near the wing base on the costa and curves inward to join the first. The middle of the wing has a group of 7-8 short longitudinal stripes, including one on the costa, that are followed by a prominent, broadly sinuous, postmedial line. The last line is a subterminal line that parallels the termen. The hindwing is uniformly silvery white.

Wingspan: 9-11 mm (Leckie and Beadle (2018).

Adult Structural Features: Munroe (1957) has an illustration of the male genitalia.

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

Immatures and Development: The larval life history is undocumented.

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

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Daulia magdalena is a seemingly rare species that has a relatively restricted distribution that includes extreme southern Alabama and the adjoining Florida Panhandle to southern Florida. An apparent northern disjunct is in the Sandhills of North Carolina where we have seven records as of 2023. In his original description, Fernald (1892) used one specimen from Texas and two from Florida. However, we are unaware of any records from Texas since then, and the Texas specimen may have been D. arizonensis.

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: This species flies year-round or nearly so in southern Florida. As of 2023, we have one record from early April and all others from early-August through late-October.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: All of our records come from xeric habitats in the Sandhills.

Larval Host Plants: The hosts are undocumented. - View

Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.

Wikipedia

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: [GNR] S1S2

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

Comments: North Carolina's populations reflect a northern disjunct group, with the nearest known populations in Florida. As of 2023, we have only seven specimens of this species, which appears to be restricted to the Sandhills.

Photo Gallery for Daulia magdalena - Glittering Magdalena Moth

Photos: 4

	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Brian Bockhahn on 2025-05-09 Cumberland Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Brian Bockhahn on 2025-05-09 Cumberland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ed Corey on 2012-10-21 Cumberland Co. Comment:		Recorded by: unknown on 0000-00-00 Moore Co. Comment: BOLD specimen: CreativeCommons - Attribution (2016); CBG Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics.