Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Geometridae Members:	Anavitrinella Members:	785 NC Records

Anavitrinella pampinaria (Guenée, [1858]) - Common Gray

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Geometroidea

Family:
Geometridae

Subfamily:
Ennominae

Tribe:
Boarmiini

P3 Number:
91a0991

MONA Number:
6590.00

Other Common Name:
North American Common Gray

Comments: A genus of four North American species, only one reaches North Carolina; the remainder are from the western US.

Species Status: Barcodes indicate a single species in our area with very little variation in haplotypes.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)

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

Technical Description, Adults: Forbes (1948)

Technical Description, Immature Stages: Forbes (1948); Wagner et al. (2001)

Adult Markings: Moderately long-winged, powdery gray with black lines, patterned similarly to other geometrids loosely termed the Grays. The base of the abdomen has a black bar followed by a white ring, which distinguishes Anavitrinella from most of the Grays except Iridopsis humaria and I. pergracilis, both of which have a bulge in the postmedian at vein C2; in Anavitrinella the postmedian is wavy but lacks a noticeable bulge at C2 (Forbes, 1948). The two Cleora species have similar rings at the base of the abdomen, but have the white ring at the base followed by a black patch. On the underside of the wings, the continuous, dark marginal bands also separate pampinaria from most of the other grays except members of the genus Hypomecis, which are larger and unlikely to be confused with this species because of their much longer pectinations on the antennae and the lack of the basal rings on the abdomen.

Wingspan: 25-30 mm (Forbes, 1948)

Adult Structural Features: Both sexes possess foveae on the base of the forewings, which in the males are especially well-developed; foveae are lacking in Iridopsis species but found in several others of the Grays. The male valves are rather featureless, a distinction in itself. The female bursa lacks a typical signum and the sclerotization of the appendix bursa is quite different from that of species likely to be confused with Anavitrinella.

Structural photos

Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.

Immatures and Development: Highly variable coloration and lack of distinctive features make the larvae difficult to distinguish (Wagner et al., 2001); look for a squared head and a pair of dorsal warts on segment A-8 (see Wagner et a., 2001, for details).

Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from close inspection of specimens or by DNA analysis.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Occurs statewide

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
Immature 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: Appears early in the spring and continues well into the fall. Breeding is continuous throughout the growing cycle.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Found in virtually all habitats that have been sampled for moths in the state.

Larval Host Plants: Larvae are broadly polyphagous, known to eat a wide variety of forbs, hardwoods, conifers, and even grasses. Wagner et al. (2001) specifically list maple (Acer), alder (Alnus), birch (Betula), Queen Anne's-lace (Daucus carota), soybean (Glycine max), cotton (Gossypium), larch (Larix), apple (Malus), spruce (Picea), oak (Quercus), willow (Salix), goldenrod (Solidago), and blueberry (Vaccinium). In North Carolina, larvae have been reared from Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin) and Turkey Oak (Quercus laevis). - View

Observation Methods: The species is attracted to lights but not baits. Larvae will turn up in beatings but it is difficult to specifically search for them.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Forests and Fields

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S5]

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

Comments: With its statewide distribution, broad range of host plants, and extremely generalized habitat associations, this species appears to be very secure.

Photo Gallery for Anavitrinella pampinaria - Common Gray

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

	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-10-04 Rowan Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-09-20 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-09-11 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-09-01 Rowan Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-09-01 Rowan Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-08-30 Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin, Marilyn Westphal, Nora Murdock on 2025-08-25 Henderson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-12 Ashe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-08-03 Moore Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-08-03 Moore Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-08-02 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-27 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rob Van Epps, Kevin Metcalf on 2025-07-20 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-04 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Patrick Coin on 2025-06-29 Moore Co. Comment:		Recorded by: 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: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-06-28 Moore Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-27 Rowan Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Melody McMichael on 2025-06-26 Forsyth Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-23 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-06-20 Moore Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George, Larry Chen, Sarah Toner, Joye Zhou on 2025-06-20 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George, Larry Chen, Sarah Toner, Joye Zhou on 2025-06-20 Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-14 Rowan Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-05-24 Moore Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-05-24 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-05-24 Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-05-24 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka, Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-09 Cumberland Co. Comment: