Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Crambidae Members:	Raphiptera Members:	97 NC Records

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

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, BOLD

Technical 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.


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: 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.

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