Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNotodontidae Members: Coelodasys Members: 280 NC Records

Coelodasys unicornis (J.E. Smith, 1797) - Unicorn Caterpillar Moth

Coelodasys unicornisCoelodasys unicornisCoelodasys unicornisCoelodasys unicornis
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Notodontidae		Subfamily:
Heterocampinae		P3 Number:
930100		 MONA Number:
8007.00		 MONA Synonym:
Schizura unicornis		Other Common Names:
Unicorn Prominent, Variegated Prominent
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:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Coelodasys unicornisAlamance 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: Woodlands, forests, fields, and parks (Wagner, 2005). Our records come from a wide range of forests and shrublands.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are polyphagous, feeding on many hardwood trees and shrubs (Wagner, 2005). In North Carolina, larvae have been recorded on Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia), serviceberry (Amelanchier sp.), chokeberry (Aronia sp.), New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus), American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana), Carolina Silverbell (Halesia carolina), apple (Malus sp.), Blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica), Carolina Laurel Cherry (Prunus caroliniana), Black Cherry (P. serotina), Black Oak (Quercus velutina), rose (Rosa sp.), blackberry (Rubus sp.), Coastal Plain Willow (Salix caroliniana), dogwood (Swida sp.), American Elm (Ulmus americana), and Southern Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum). - View
Wikipedia
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 Coelodasys unicornis - Unicorn Caterpillar Moth

 112 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-07-15
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: David George on 2025-06-29
Richmond Co.
Comment:
Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: Jim Petranka, John Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-09
Cumberland Co.
Comment: 		Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George on 2025-05-09
Cumberland Co.
Comment:
Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: R. Newman on 2025-05-01
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-04-05
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-03
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-03
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-29
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-29
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-29
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-29
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2024-08-19
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: David George on 2024-07-15
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Patrick Coin on 2024-06-22
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: John Petranka on 2024-06-12
Orange Co.
Comment:
Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: John Petranka on 2024-06-07
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: Emily Stanley on 2024-06-04
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-01
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-05-25
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: David George, Rich Teper on 2024-05-13
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-05-07
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-05-07
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2024-04-18
New Hanover Co.
Comment:
Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: R. Newman on 2024-04-10
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-09-11
Orange Co.
Comment:
Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: Simpson Eason on 2023-08-17
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: R. Newman on 2023-08-15
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: Dean Furbish on 2023-08-06
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Coelodasys unicornisRecorded by: John Petranka, David George on 2023-08-05
Orange Co.
Comment: