Moths of North Carolina
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Common Name:
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View PDFPyralidae Members: Aglossa Members: 53 NC Records

Aglossa cuprina Zeller, 1872 - Grease Moth

Aglossa cuprinaAglossa cuprinaAglossa cuprina
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Pyraloidea		 Family:
Pyralidae		Subfamily:
Pyralinae		Tribe:
Pyralini		P3 Number:
80a0675		 MONA Number:
5518.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: "Both [Aglossa caprealis and A. cuprina] can be a challenge, but generally distinguishable. There is likely also A. oculalis, which is very much like A. cuprina." (Scholtens, 2017)
Wingspan: 1.8 - 2.7 cm (Covell, 1984)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Aglossa cuprinaAlamance 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.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Larval Host Plants: Larvae probably feed on stored grain, fungi, and detritus, similar to Aglossa caprealis. - View
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G4 SNA
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: Cosmopolitan and possibly exotic in North Carolina

 Photo Gallery for Aglossa cuprina - Grease Moth

 47 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-06-25
Mitchell Co.
Comment: 		Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-06
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: John Petranka on 2024-08-20
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Kevin Bischof on 2024-08-07
Transylvania Co.
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Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-08-06
Transylvania Co.
Comment: 		Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-08-06
Transylvania Co.
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Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-08-05
Transylvania Co.
Comment: 		Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-07-24
Orange Co.
Comment:
Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-07-19
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-14
Scotland Co.
Comment:
Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-05-25
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-05-25
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-05-22
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-08-18
Madison Co.
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Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-31
Macon Co.
Comment: 		Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: Darryl Willis on 2023-07-30
Cabarrus Co.
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Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Becky Watkins on 2023-07-30
Swain Co.
Comment: 		Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Becky Watkins on 2023-07-29
Swain Co.
Comment:
Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-24
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-19
Durham Co.
Comment:
Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-07-19
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: John Petranka, David George on 2023-07-07
Orange Co.
Comment:
Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: David George on 2023-07-02
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-06-10
Madison Co.
Comment:
Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: Stephen Hall on 2023-05-23
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2022-07-24
Chatham Co.
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Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-06-21
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-05-28
Orange Co.
Comment:
Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: Stephen Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2021-09-14
Ashe Co.
Comment: 		Aglossa cuprinaRecorded by: David George on 2021-08-27
Orange Co.
Comment: