Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFCrambidae Members: Raphiptera Members: 97 NC Records

Raphiptera argillaceellus (Packard, 1867) - Diminutive Grass-veneer


Raphiptera argillaceellusRaphiptera argillaceellusRaphiptera argillaceellusRaphiptera argillaceellus
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Pyraloidea
Family:
Crambidae
Subfamily:
Crambinae
Tribe:
Crambini
P3 Number:
80a1535
MONA Number:
5393.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1923)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: In this species the palps, head, thorax and ground color of the forewings are concolorous and vary from light-brown to mouse gray. The largest mark is a slender white stripe that extends from the wing base to about five-sixths the wing length where it comes to a point. The stripe has a dark tooth-like mark along the dorsal edge about two-thirds from the base, and is followed by a broad whitish to whitish-gray chevron over its apex. A triangular white patch runs from the tip of the chevron to the tip of the wing and is margined with black on both sides. The outer edge of the chevron is bound by a dark outwardly angulate subterminal line. The line extends from the costa obliquely towards the outer margin for about a fourth of its length, then angles back to run roughly parallel to the outer margin to the inner margin. The terminal line is dark brown to blackish and runs from the apex before terminating just before reaching the tornus. Three or four back dashes extend from the line near the center of the wing. The fringe is lead-colored, and the hindwing is brown to brownish-gray with a concolorous fringe. The outer margin of the forewing of this species is falcate near the apex, which results in a sharply pointed tip when the moth is resting - a helpful character for distinguishing it from other striped crambids.
Wingspan: 10-15 mm (Forbes, 1923).
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: Raphiptera argillaceellus is found in eastern North America and throughout portions of southern Canada, including Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. In the U.S., the range extends from Maine and other New England states westward through the Great Lakes region to Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Nebraska, and southward from Maine along the Atlantic Seaboard to southern Florida, then westward to Louisiana, Arkansas and central Texas. As of 2023, we have numerous records from the Coastal Plain and eastern Piedmont, with one isolated record from the northern Blue Ridge.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Raphiptera argillaceellusAlamance 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 have been observed year-round in Florida and during all but the coldest winter months in other southern states. In the northern part of the range the flight season is typically from May through September. In North Carolina the adults can be found nearly year-round in the Coastal Plain and from early April through late October elsewhere. Local populations in the Coastal Plain are multivoltine, and probably so in the eastern Piedmont as well.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Many of our records are from sandy, xeric habitats in the Sandhills and in coastal communities, but also from bottomland sites and residential neighborhoods.
Larval Host Plants: The hosts are apparently undocumented. Heppner (2007) listed 'grass' as a host, but provided no specific information that confirms this. - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR S4S5
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: This species is common in many areas of the state and appears to be secure.

 Photo Gallery for Raphiptera argillaceellus - Diminutive Grass-veneer

70 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-23
Brunswick Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-08
Brunswick Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: David George, David Cheng, Patrick Coin on 2025-06-29
Richmond Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: David George, David Cheng, Patrick Coin on 2025-06-29
Richmond Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin, David George on 2025-06-29
Richmond Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-06-29
Richmond Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-31
Brunswick Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Brian Bockhahn, Jim Petranka, John Petranka, Becky Elkin on 2025-05-09
Cumberland Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-04-05
Chatham Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: Mark Shields on 2025-04-04
Onslow Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-28
Brunswick Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-28
Brunswick Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2024-06-19
Orange Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-15
Scotland Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-14
Scotland Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2024-04-17
New Hanover Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-10-07
Brunswick Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-10-07
Brunswick Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-09-11
Orange Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: Mark Shields on 2023-09-01
Onslow Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-21
Orange Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-18
New Hanover Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-17
New Hanover Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Erich Hofmann, Jesse Anderson on 2023-05-22
New Hanover Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2023-05-21
New Hanover Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-05-17
Chatham Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: Steve Hall, David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-04-29
Orange Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: Stephen Hall on 2023-04-05
Orange Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: David George on 2023-04-05
Durham Co.
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Raphiptera argillaceellusRecorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn on 2023-03-27
New Hanover Co.
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