Moths of North Carolina
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167 NC Records

Datana angusii Grote & Robinson, 1866 - Angus's Datana Moth


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Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: NotodontidaeSubfamily: PhalerinaeP3 Number: 930034.00 MONA Number: 7903.00
Comments: One of 16 species in this genus, all but one of which occurs in North America north of Mexico (Miller et al., 2018). Nine have been recorded in North Carolina.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1948); Miller et al., (2018)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Forbes (1948); Wagner (2005); Miller et al., (2018)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Along with ministra, major, and drexelli, angusii possesses a crenulate outer margin; our other species have a smooth margin instead (Forbes, 1948; Miller et al., 2018). Forbes describes the ground color of angusii as ranging from dull luteous to a dark gray- or umber-brown, with no reddish or yellowish shading but sometimes with a greenish tinge. As in ministra, the area between the costa and cubitus is not contrastingly lighter than the lower portion of the wing and the two spots are either absent or obscure, with the outer one sometimes incorpoated in the second line (Forbes, 1948). The lines are dark brown, as is the disc of the thorax. Datana ministra is most similar in pattern but is reddish- to yellowish-brown and has a reddish thoracic disc and reddish-brown lines.
Wingspan: 45 mm (Forbes, 1948)
Adult Structural Features: Valves of the males have a single transverse flange; in angusii this flange is dentate or tuberculate rather than smooth as in ministra (Forbes, 1948; Miller et al., 2018). The uncus is bifid, whereas it is rounded over in ministra (Forbes, 1948). See Forbes and Miller et al. for additional details and illustrations. Miller et al., also describe distinctive features of the female structures.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae are black with pale yellow stripes. The thoracic shield is usually black and the prolegs are reddish (Wagner, 2005). The thoracic shield can sometimes be reddish-orange, but is never the yellow found in ministra (Miller et al., 2018).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
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
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: The majority of our records come from wet-mesic stands of hardwood forest, with a substantial number coming from areas with mafic substrates or the floodplains and adjoining slopes of brownwater rivers. Walnut, Northern Shagbark Hickory, and Bitternut Hickory are likely to be present at most of these sites.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae have been reported as feeding on members of the Juglandaceae, including Butternut, Black Walnut, and Hickories (Wagner, 2005). Miller et al. (2018) regard all non-hickory records as suspect, however.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Wet-Mesic Hardwood Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 S4S5
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Datana angusii - Angus's Datana Moth

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

Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2023-09-04
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2023-08-18
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-31
Swain Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Becky Watkins on 2023-07-29
Swain Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-16
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2023-07-12
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2023-07-12
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2023-07-11
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: John Petranka on 2023-07-04
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Chuck Smith and Jim Petranka on 2023-06-29
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2023-06-18
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2023-06-18
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2023-06-14
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2023-06-14
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2023-05-23
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn on 2022-09-09
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn on 2022-09-09
Orange Co.
Comment: on Carya sp.		Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-07-09
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Richard Teper on 2022-06-24
Avery Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-06-22
Caswell Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-06-21
Caswell Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-06-21
Caswell Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Richard Teper on 2022-06-16
Macon Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-06-12
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-05-26
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-05-17
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: tom ward on 2021-06-11
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2021-04-27
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2021-04-27
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: J. Thomson, Z. Cowan on 2020-09-16
Orange Co.
Comment: