Moths of North Carolina
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0 NC Records

Donacaula roscidellus (Dyar, 1917) - Brown Donacaula Moth

No image for this species.
Taxonomy
Superfamily: Pyraloidea Family: CrambidaeSubfamily: SchoenobiinaeP3 Number: 800716.00 MONA Number: 5321.00
Comments: Members of the genus Donacaulis are found worldwide, but reach their greatest diversity in the Nearctic region. The group has proven to be taxonomically challenging due to the fact that most of the species are sexually dimorphic, are very similar externally, and exhibit substantial variation within species. Genitalia have proven to be the most useful diagnostic characters for delineating species, but almost all of the species were originally described based on external coloration and patterning. Descriptions and illustrations of genitalia were also lacking for most species until Martinez (2010) undertook a major revision of the Nearctic species. Her work revealed that there were at least 10 undescribed species in addition to the 11 described species in the New World. Additional studies of DNA barcoding and genitalia, including for North Carolina material, indicate that additional undescribed species remain to be formally described. "Some of these are probably identifiable, but, even with the Martinez thesis, there is a great deal of variation, and especially sexual dimorphism that makes these difficult" (Scholtens, 2017).
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: (Martinez, 2010).                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The following description is based on that of Martinez (2010). The frons, antennae, labial palps and thorax are all yellow, while the forewing ground color is light brown. A small black spot is present on the distal area of the discal cell, and a row of terminal spots are present along the outer margin. The veins are strongly marked and lighter than the ground color. The hindwing is glossy white and the males have a row of terminal spots on the outer margin that are lacking on the females. The abdomen is covered with a mixture of yellow and yellowish-white scales, and the anal tuft of the female is grayish-yellow. Donacaula roscidella is similar to D. unipunctellus in wing pattern, but can be distinguished by the strongly marked veins of the forewing and the genitalia (Martinez, 2010).
Adult Structural Features: Martinez (2010) has descriptions and images of the male and female genitalia.
Immatures and Development: The larval life history is undocumented.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Donacaula roscidella has a fairly restricted range that extends from southeastern Texas eastward across the Gulf Coast states to Georgia and all of Florida, and perhaps as a disjunct in North Carolina. Martinez (2010) verified specimens from Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.
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)

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Flight Comments: The adults have been observed January through August in Florida, and from March through August elsewhere.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: This species is generally affiliated with coastal wetlands.
Larval Host Plants: The hosts are undocumented. - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
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