Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNotodontidae Members: Symmerista Members: 308 NC Records

Symmerista albifrons (J.E. Smith, 1797) - White-headed Prominent

Symmerista albifronsSymmerista albifrons
view caption 		Symmerista albifronsSymmerista albifrons
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Notodontidae		Subfamily:
Nystalinae		P3 Number:
930127		 MONA Number:
7951.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Structural photos
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.
Symmerista albifronsAlamance 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: We have records from most types of hardwood forests but with the majority from bottomlands or mesic slopes.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on members of the Fagaceae, including beech (Fagus), chestnut (Castanea), and oak (Quercus) (Wagner, 2005). In North Carolina, we have feeding records from White Oak (Quercus alba), Cherrybark Oak (Q. pagoda), and Willow Oak (Q. phellos). - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Oak-Hickory Forests
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 Symmerista albifrons - White-headed Prominent

 131 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-09-06
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-09-03
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-09-03
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2025-08-25
Wake Co.
Comment:
Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-25
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-07-26
Madison Co.
Comment:
Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-07-26
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-06-25
Mitchell Co.
Comment:
Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-04-20
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-04-19
Madison Co.
Comment:
Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2025-03-31
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2025-03-28
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: Chuck Smith on 2025-03-28
Harnett Co.
Comment: 		Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-03-27
Madison Co.
Comment:
Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-25
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-24
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2025-03-24
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-23
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2025-03-14
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-13
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-05
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-08-25
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-05-20
Anson Co.
Comment: 		Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-05-20
Anson Co.
Comment:
Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-04-16
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2024-04-14
Orange Co.
Comment:
Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-04-01
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-04-01
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-04-01
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Symmerista albifrons
Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2024-03-31
Buncombe Co.
Comment: