Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGeometridae Members: Xanthorhoe Members: 88 NC Records

Xanthorhoe ferrugata (Clerck, 1759) - Red Twin-spot Moth

Xanthorhoe ferrugataXanthorhoe ferrugataXanthorhoe ferrugata
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Geometroidea		 Family:
Geometridae		Subfamily:
Larentiinae		Tribe:
Xanthorhoini		P3 Number:
91a0431		 MONA Number:
7388.00		 Other Common Names:
Red Twin-spot Carpet, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1948)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A double, black, subterminal spot is located along the outer margin opposite the cell; the postmedian line towards the costa is fine, double, and filled with white; the hindwing is not black or heavily bordered with black (Forbes, 1948 -- see key). In our other members of this genus, the subterminal spot is brown, or at most has only a few black scales, and the postmedian is not fine, white and double (the outer black line may be absent or diffuse rather than fine)
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Xanthorhoe ferrugataAlamance 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: Mesic forests, woodlands, wooded swamps, and wet meadows (Wagner et al., 2001). Our records come from rich mesic and bottomland forests along the lower Roanoke River in the Coastal Plain. In the Mountains, they come from Northern Hardwoods, Cove Forests, and Riparian Forests.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are polyphagous, feeding on many species of forbs, including clover (Trifolium), dandelion (Taraxacum), Ground-ivy (Glechoma hederacea), knotweed (Polygonum), and pigweed (Amaranthus) (Wagner et al., 2001). - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Wet-Mesic Hardwood Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S3S4]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Xanthorhoe ferrugata - Red Twin-spot Moth

Photos: 16
Xanthorhoe ferrugataRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-08-04
Mitchell Co.
Comment: 		Xanthorhoe ferrugataRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-07-12
Watauga Co.
Comment:
Xanthorhoe ferrugataRecorded by: tom ward on 2023-04-15
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Xanthorhoe ferrugataRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-06-27
Madison Co.
Comment:
Xanthorhoe ferrugataRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-08-24
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Xanthorhoe ferrugataRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-05-03
Madison Co.
Comment:
Xanthorhoe ferrugataRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-04-24
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Xanthorhoe ferrugataRecorded by: David L. Heavner on 2019-08-16
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Xanthorhoe ferrugataRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-07-20
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Xanthorhoe ferrugataRecorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2019-05-03
Yancey Co.
Comment:
Xanthorhoe ferrugataRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-04-11
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Xanthorhoe ferrugataRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2018-06-24
Madison Co.
Comment:
Xanthorhoe ferrugataRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2018-05-14
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Xanthorhoe ferrugataRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2014-04-25
Madison Co.
Comment:
Xanthorhoe ferrugataRecorded by: Darryl Willis on 2013-10-10
Cabarrus Co.
Comment: 		Xanthorhoe ferrugataRecorded by: Owen McConnell on 2012-04-17
Graham Co.
Comment: