Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFErebidae Members: Cisthene Members: 16 NC Records

Cisthene kentuckiensis (Dyar, 1904) - Kentucky Lichen Moth

Cisthene kentuckiensisCisthene kentuckiensisCisthene kentuckiensisCisthene kentuckiensis
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Erebidae		Subfamily:
Arctiinae		Tribe:
Lithosiini		P3 Number:
930178		 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 Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical 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.
Cisthene kentuckiensisAlamance 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.
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). - View
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: W-PK
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GU S3S4 [S3]
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 habitat restricted. Its abundance, populations trends, and threats are all unknown

 Photo Gallery for Cisthene kentuckiensis - Kentucky Lichen Moth

Photos: 5
Cisthene kentuckiensisRecorded by: Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2020-09-10
Moore Co.
Comment: 		Cisthene kentuckiensisRecorded by: Paul Scharf on 2011-09-08
Warren Co.
Comment:
Cisthene kentuckiensisRecorded by: Paul Scharf on 2009-09-15
Warren Co.
Comment: 		Cisthene kentuckiensisRecorded by: SPH on 2009-06-24
Richmond Co.
Comment: Male; wingspan = 2.0 cm; forewing length = 0.5 cm
Cisthene kentuckiensisRecorded by: SPH on 2006-06-30
Orange Co.
Comment: Wingpan = 17mm, forewing length = 4mm