Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFBombycidae Members: Apatelodes Members: 258 NC Records

Apatelodes torrefacta (J.E. Smith, 1797) - Spotted Apatelodes

Apatelodes torrefactaApatelodes torrefactaApatelodes torrefactaApatelodes torrefacta
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Bombycoidea		 Family:
Bombycidae		Subfamily:
Apatelodinae		P3 Number:
890001		 MONA Number:
7663.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Occurs nearly statewide, with the possible exception of the outer coastal plain and barrier islands.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Apatelodes torrefactaAlamance 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.
Immature 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: immatures.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Fields and woodlands (Wagner, 2005). Our records come primarily from hardwood forests, including bottomlands, peatlands, dry sand ridges, cove forests, and high elevation forests. We also have a number of records from Longleaf Pine habitats but none from maritime habitats and few, if any, from successional fields.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are polyphagous, feeding on a wide range of hardwood trees and shrubs. Wagner (2005) specifically lists ash (Fraxinus), blackberry (Rubus), cherry (Prunus), hazelnut (Corylus), hickory (Carya), American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana), maple (Acer), oak (Quercus), Sassafras, walnut (Juglans), and willow (Salix). In North Carolina, we have recorded larvae on Rhododendron. iNaturalist records show larvae feeding on a wide assortment of plants in North Carolina, including Devil's-walkingstick (Aralia spinosa), American Hazelnut (Corylus americana), silverbell (Halesia sp.), Common Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), Northern Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), oak (Quercus), blackberry (Rubus sp.), elderberry (Sambucus sp.), and blueberry (Vaccinium sp.). - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Forests and Shrublands
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:

 Photo Gallery for Apatelodes torrefacta - Spotted Apatelodes

 84 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-06-25
Mitchell Co.
Comment: 		Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-23
Buncombe Co.
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Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: K. Bischof on 2025-06-20
Transylvania Co.
Comment: 		Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: K. Bischof on 2024-09-10
Transylvania Co.
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Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-08-05
Transylvania Co.
Comment: 		Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-07-18
Madison Co.
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Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: B. Bockhahn on 2024-07-14
Macon Co.
Comment: 		Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-07-11
Madison Co.
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Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-07-10
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: K. Bischof on 2024-06-25
Transylvania Co.
Comment:
Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-24
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-06-23
Yancey Co.
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Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-20
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: Owen McConnell and Simpson Eason on 2024-06-19
Graham Co.
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Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-06-19
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: Owen McConnell on 2024-06-18
Graham Co.
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Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-12
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: K. Bischof on 2024-06-11
Transylvania Co.
Comment:
Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-10
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: Emily Stanley on 2024-06-05
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: Owen McConnell on 2024-05-27
Graham Co.
Comment: 		Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-05-12
Madison Co.
Comment:
Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: R. Teper, David George on 2023-09-25
Caswell Co.
Comment: 		Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin and Bo Sullivan on 2023-08-08
Wilkes Co.
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Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin and Bo Sullivan on 2023-08-08
Wilkes Co.
Comment: 		Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-31
Swain Co.
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Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Becky Watkins on 2023-07-30
Swain Co.
Comment: 		Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: Owen McConnell on 2023-07-29
Graham Co.
Comment:
Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: K. Bischof on 2023-07-16
Transylvania Co.
Comment: 		Apatelodes torrefactaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-07-11
Madison Co.
Comment: