Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFErebidae Members: Utetheisa Members: 39 NC Records

Utetheisa ornatrix (Linnaeus, 1758) - Ornate Bella Moth

Utetheisa ornatrixUtetheisa ornatrixUtetheisa ornatrixUtetheisa ornatrix
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Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Erebidae		Subfamily:
Arctiinae		Tribe:
Arctiini		P3 Number:
930348		 MONA Number:
8105.00		 MONA Synonym:
Utetheisa bella		Other Common Names:
Ornate Moth, Bella Moth, Beautiful Utetheisa
Comments: Although two species, ornatrix and bella, have been recognized in the past based on differences in coloration (e.g., Hodges et al., 1983; Covell, 1984; Schmidt and Opler, 2008), Forbes (1960) treated them as races, finding no differences in the genitalia and extensive intergradation between populations. This opinion was upheld by Lafontaine and Schmidt (2010), citing evidence from DNA bar-coding in addition to the lack of genitalic differences.
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: Forbes (1960); Wagner (2005)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Unmistakeable, with conspicuous aposematic coloration: forewings are bright orange, pink, or yellow and crossed by several transverse white bands spotted with black; hindwings are pink with a black outer margin.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae are yellowish with some white and with broad black transverse bands (Forbes, 1960; Wagner; 2005).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Recorded in North Carolina primarily in the southern half of the Coastal Plain.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Utetheisa ornatrixAlamance 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.
Flight Comments: Adults apparently fly during most of the growing season in the Coastal Plain
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: In the Coastal Plain, records all come from open, herbaceous habitats, including barrier island dunes and Longleaf Pine savannas, flatwoods, and sandhills. Records from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park come from high ridges, with one at least containing old field habitat (Crotalaria, however, has not been recorded in the park nor in Swain or Haywood Counties -- DLIA, 2014; NCU Flora of the Southeastern United States, 2014).
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are oligophagous, feeding primarily on legumes with a preference for rattlebox (Crotalaria spp.) (Forbes, 1960). In North Carolina, larvae have been recorded on Showy Rattlebox (C. spectabilis). - View
Observation Methods: Strictly diurnal; virtually all records are based on chance encounters rather than trapping or baiting
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S3S4]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands
Comments: Apparently uncommon and possibly a habitat specialist, but also probably undersampled due to its day-flying habits. More needs to be learned about its distribution, abundance, and habitat associations in North Carolina before its conservation status can be estimated.

 Photo Gallery for Utetheisa ornatrix - Ornate Bella Moth

Photos: 21
Utetheisa ornatrixRecorded by: Mark Basinger and Donald Zepp on 2024-11-12
Johnston Co.
Comment: Crotalaria spectabilis was host plant. Larvae seemed numerous as 3 were found quickly. Two adults were observed in the same area.		Utetheisa ornatrixRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-14
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Utetheisa ornatrixRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-14
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Utetheisa ornatrixRecorded by: Paul Hart on 2023-11-08
Harnett Co.
Comment:
Utetheisa ornatrixRecorded by: R. Newman on 2023-10-25
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Utetheisa ornatrixRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-10-01
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Utetheisa ornatrixRecorded by: H. Anderson on 2022-09-28
Cumberland Co.
Comment: 		Utetheisa ornatrixRecorded by: H. Anderson on 2022-09-28
Cumberland Co.
Comment:
Utetheisa ornatrixRecorded by: R. Newman on 2022-09-13
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Utetheisa ornatrixRecorded by: Mark Shields on 2020-10-14
Onslow Co.
Comment:
Utetheisa ornatrixRecorded by: R. Newman on 2020-09-28
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Utetheisa ornatrixRecorded by: Scott Pohlman on 2020-09-24
Scotland Co.
Comment:
Utetheisa ornatrixRecorded by: Scott Pohlman on 2020-09-24
Scotland Co.
Comment: 		Utetheisa ornatrixRecorded by: John Amoroso on 2020-09-04
Wake Co.
Comment:
Utetheisa ornatrixRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin, Sally Gewalt, and John Petranka on 2019-10-24
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Utetheisa ornatrixRecorded by: Mark Shields on 2019-10-18
Onslow Co.
Comment:
Utetheisa ornatrixRecorded by: Salman Abdulali on 2017-11-06
Pitt Co.
Comment: 		Utetheisa ornatrixRecorded by: J. Brown on 2017-10-15
Dare Co.
Comment:
Utetheisa ornatrixRecorded by: Mark Shields on 2016-08-17
Pender Co.
Comment: 		Utetheisa ornatrixRecorded by: Randy Newman on 2004-10-20
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Utetheisa ornatrixRecorded by: SPH & DFS on 1991-09-11
Pender Co.
Comment: Seen flying during the day across a Longleaf Pine savanna.