Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFCrambidae Members: Prionapteryx Members: 17 NC Records

Prionapteryx serpentella Kearfott, 1908 - Serpentine Grass-veneer

Prionapteryx serpentellaPrionapteryx serpentellaPrionapteryx serpentella
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Pyraloidea		 Family:
Crambidae		Subfamily:
Crambinae		Tribe:
Prionapterygini		P3 Number:
80a1403		 MONA Number:
5336.00		 Other Common Name:
Prionapteryx Moth
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: In this species the head and thorax are brown with white speckling. The forewing has complex patterning that mostly consists of a brown ground color that is intermixed with whitish lines and patches and dark brown marks. The wing base has a distinctive white line that starts on the inner margin and extends obliquely to the base, then angles sharply apically to run parallel to the costa. At about one-fourth the wing length it typically connects to a group of diffuse and often fused whitish patches that extend from the inner margin to the line. The line then continues forward, narrows, and angles back to connect to the costa at about one-third the wing length where it fuses with a narrow, white costal streak. The costal streak extends apically and arcs inward before terminating below a white, trapezoidal patch at about three-fourth the wing length. The patch is just proximal to a white subterminal line that is margined narrowly with black inwardly. The line slants from the costal towards the outer margin then sharply angles basally and curved to meet the inner margin perpendicular at around four-fifths. Three other conspicuous white marks are present on the forewing that include an elongated streak just below the boldly, double-lined apex, a squarish patch in the middle of the subterminal region that adjoins the subterminal line and is often intersected by a dark brown line, and a dagger-shaped mark in the middle of the wing at around one-half the wing length. The white postmedial line is highly jagged and extends from the inner margin just beyond the middle of the wing before terminating near the center of the wing. The hindwing is uniformly brown with a pale fringe that has a narrow, dark basal line.
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: Prionapteryx serpentella is found in coastal and Coastal Plain habitats from New Jersey southward to southern Florida and westward to Louisiana. It is also known from the Bahamas. As of 2023, all of our records are from the Coastal Plain, including the Sandhills and maritime habitats.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Prionapteryx serpentellaAlamance 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%20Hanover 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 year-round in Florida and mostly from April through August elsewhere. As of 2023, our records range from early-April through mid-September. Dune and barrier island populations appear to have two or more broods per year.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Our records are from xeric habitats, including Longleaf Pine communities in the Sandhills, and dune, scrub and maritime forest communities on the coast.
Larval Host Plants: The host plants are undocumented. - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for Dry-Xeric Sand Barrens and Glades
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S1S3]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: This species is relatively uncommon outside of Florida. We need additional information on its distribution, abundance and larval life history before we can accurately assess its conservation status within the state.

 Photo Gallery for Prionapteryx serpentella - Serpentine Grass-veneer

Photos: 7
Prionapteryx serpentellaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-05-24
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Prionapteryx serpentellaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2025-04-16
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Prionapteryx serpentellaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2024-09-09
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Prionapteryx serpentellaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2024-06-01
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Prionapteryx serpentellaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2023-09-20
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Prionapteryx serpentellaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2023-05-21
New Hanover Co.
Comment:
Prionapteryx serpentellaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2021-09-01
Carteret Co.
Comment: