Moths of North Carolina
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16 NC Records

Cisthene kentuckiensis (Dyar, 1904) - Kentucky Lichen Moth

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: ErebidaeSubfamily: ArctiinaeTribe: LithosiiniP3 Number: 930178.00 MONA Number: 8061.00
Comments: One of twenty species in this genus that occur in North America, five of which have been recorded in North Carolina
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, BAMONATechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1960)Technical Description, Immature Stages: (None)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Blackish brown with a fairly broad orange line along the inner margin that is confluent with a similar line across the postmedian area of the forewing; hindwing is mainly pink with a dark apex. Similar to C. tenuifascia but the line along the inner margin in that species strongly narrows before it reaches the postmedian band.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Descriptions of the larvae are apparently unavailable.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Most of our records come from the Coastal Plain
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
Flight Comments: Probably single brooded
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Most records are from wet-to-mesic forests, including Longleaf Pine savannas, floodplain hardwoods, and forested lakeshores.
Larval Host Plants: Like most Lithosiines, probably feeds on lichens, bark algae, and Cyanobacteria (Covell, 1984; Wagner, 2005).
Observation Methods: May come only poorly to blacklights and none of our records come from bait
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Wet-Mesic Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: W3
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G4 SU
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands; included as a W3 species on the NHP Watchlist
Comments: Appears to be uncommon to rare but with no clear evidence that it is a habitat specialist; abundance, populations trends, and threats are all unknown

 Photo Gallery for Cisthene kentuckiensis - Kentucky Lichen Moth

Photos: 4

Recorded by: Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2020-09-10
Moore Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Paul Scharf on 2011-09-08
Warren Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Paul Scharf on 2009-09-15
Warren Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: SPH on 2009-06-24
Richmond Co.
Comment: Male; wingspan = 2.0 cm; forewing length = 0.5 cm