Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Crambidae Members:	Microcrambus Members:	63 NC Records

Microcrambus minor (Forbes, 1920) - Minor Grass-veneer

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Pyraloidea

Family:
Crambidae

Subfamily:
Crambinae

Tribe:
Crambini

P3 Number:
80a1499

MONA Number:
5422.00

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions:

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

Technical Description, Adults: Forbes (1920)

Adult Markings: The following description is based in part by the descriptions by Forbes (1920) and Klots (1968). The palps are whitish above, while the head and thorax are whitish and dusted with dull brown scales. The ground color of the forewing is whitish, and shaded or dusted with dull-brown to blackish scales. The most conspicuous marks are two blackish, diffuse, and often crescent-shaped patches along the inner margin that curve obliquely outward and terminate before reaching the center of the wing. The first is at around one-fourth the distance from the wing base and the second at one-half. The latter is larger and often produces a horseshoe-shaped pattern when an individual is resting with the wings closed. The costa has two short, outwardly oblique dark bars at two-thirds and three-fourths the wing length that cut through the otherwise whitish costa. Both the median and subterminal lines are obscure. The latter is double-lined with a whitish center, but almost always appears as a single, diffuse, dark line because of the filling of the central white region with dark scales (compare with M. elegans). The apical area beyond the subterminal line has a diffuse dark patch and the terminal line is represented as a line of seven black dots. The fringe is dull brown or browning-gray, while the hindwing is light grayish-brown to pale-brown with a whitish fringe.

Microcrambus elegans is often confused with M. minor and is best distinguished by having a costa that is white beyond the subterminal line, along with a well-defined subterminal line that is bordered with an adjoining white line. In M. minor, the costa has a diffuse, dark-brown, apical patch that extends across the subterminal line, and a subterminal line that is diffuse and rather obscure. Microcrambus kimballi also closely resembles M. minor and is best distinguished by the wavy or scalloped subterminal line versus the diffuse and poorly develop line on M. minor.

Wingspan: 10-13 mm (Forbes, 1920; Klots, 1968).

Adult Structural Features: Klots (1968) has descriptions and illustrations of the male genitalia.

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: Microcrambus minor is found in the eastern U.S. and adjoining areas of Canada. In the U.S., the range extends from Maine southward to southern Florida, and westward to eastern Texas and eastern Oklahoma, then northward to Minnesota and northeastern Nebraska. It occurs in adjoining areas of Canada in Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. This species occurs statewide in North Carolina.

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 from February through September in different areas of the range, with a seasonal peak typically occurring in June and July in the northernmost populations. As of 2023, our records extend from late-April through early-October. Populations in North Carolina appear to have two or three generations per year.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: We have records for a variety of habitats that include xeric habitats in the Sandhills, mesic forests, and several sites near wetlands.

Larval Host Plants: Heppner (2007) listed 'grass' but did not supply any specific information to verify this. As far as we are aware, the hosts plants 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 S3S4

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

Comments: This species is widespread and probably secure, but we need more information on its preferred habitats and host plants before we can accurately assess its conservation status in the state.

Photo Gallery for Microcrambus minor - Minor Grass-veneer

50 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George on 2025-05-09 Cumberland Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Jim Petranka, John Petranka, Becky Elkin on 2025-05-09 Cumberland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-03 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-01 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-04-26 Moore Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-04-26 Moore Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Bonnie Eamick on 2025-04-25 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, Larry Chen on 2024-09-23 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Lior S. Carlson, Dean Furbish on 2024-08-17 Johnston Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-08-14 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-08-14 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-07-12 Watauga Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-07-10 Watauga Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Rich Teper on 2024-05-13 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2024-04-29 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2024-04-16 New Hanover Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-09-20 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-09-20 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-09-11 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Becky Watkins on 2023-07-30 Swain Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2023-07-22 Cumberland Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2023-07-22 Cumberland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Steve Hall, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Becky Watkins on 2023-07-22 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2023-06-05 Transylvania 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 on 2023-05-17 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Bo Sullivan on 2023-05-17 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-05-14 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-05-14 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka, Chuck Smith on 2023-05-12 Bladen Co. Comment: