Moths of North Carolina
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166 NC Records

Haploa lecontei (Guérin-Méneville, 1844) - Leconte's Haploa Moth


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Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: ErebidaeSubfamily: ArctiinaeTribe: ArctiiniP3 Number: 930345.00 MONA Number: 8111.00
Comments: One of six species currently recognized in North America, all of which occur in North Carolina
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1960)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Forbes (1960); Wagner (2005)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: One of four species of Haploa that have all white hindwings. The forewings are white and outlined on all margins with black (usually interrupted at the wing angles). Lecontei usually has a strong black line running from the outer margin just below the apex to the inner margin above the anal angle, where there is usually a strong dark blotch or widening of the marginal line. Forms where this postmedial line is the only one crossing the inner part of the wing are unmistakeble. However, there is often a dark line or spur in the antemedian area, as in confusa, connecting the costal and inner margins when complete. As in contigua and confusa, a line or spur may exist in the postmedial area running from beyond the mid-point on the costa to the line that runs from the outer margin to the inner margin. The darkest forms, where all of these lines are well-developed, are particularly similar to confusa, which is smaller, usually browner, and has a white spot in the botch on the inner margin. All-white forms may be indistinguishable from similar forms in the other species. Specimens are occasionally encountered in North Carolina that have a faint orangish-white ground color on the forewings and hindwings instead of the pure white ground that is more typical of this species.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae are yellow and black striped with sparse hair and warts, as is true for several other Haploas (Forbes, 1960; Wagner, 2005). In lecontei, the mid-dorsal and spiracular stripes consist of bright yellow and white spots (Wagner, 2005).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: The majority of records come from the Mountains but there are also records (several historic) from the eastern Piedmont and Fall-line Sandhills.
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
Immature 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: Appears to have a single, mid-season flight
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Records from the Mountains come from both riparian areas (e.g., New River State Park) as well upland forests on slopes and ridges, with perhaps a concentration in mesic habitats. Habitats in the Piedmont may also be mesic but the details are unrecorded. At least some of the records from the Sandhills come from open, herb-rich seepage slopes.
Larval Host Plants: Polyphagous, feeding on many species of herbaceous and woody plants (Forbes, 1960; Wagner, 2005). Wagner (2005) specifically lists Apple, Eupatorium, and Willow. - View
Observation Methods: Comes moderately well to blacklights, but none of our records come from bait; flushes easily during the day and appears to be at least partially diurnal
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 S4S5
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands
Comments: This species may have a distribution covering the western two-thirds of the state and appears to occupy a moderately wide range of habitats. It is probably secure in the Mountains but more needs to be learned about its distribution, abundance, and habitat associations in the Piedmont before an overall assessment can be made about its conservation status across the entire state.

 Photo Gallery for Haploa lecontei - Leconte's Haploa Moth

73 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-07-11
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2024-06-25
McDowell Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-06-24
Yancey Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-21
Madison Co.
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Recorded by: Owen McConnell and Simpson Eason on 2024-06-19
Graham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-06-19
Madison Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-16
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-13
Madison Co.
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Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2024-06-12
Transylvania Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Regina Patton on 2024-06-11
Jackson Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-10
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Regina Patton on 2024-06-09
Jackson Co.
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Recorded by: Regina Patton on 2024-06-09
Jackson Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2024-06-08
Buncombe Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-06
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-06-03
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Rob Van Epps on 2023-08-05
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Julie Tuttle on 2023-07-24
Mitchell Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-07-08
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-06-30
Madison Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-06-29
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2023-06-29
Transylvania Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-06-28
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2023-06-28
Transylvania Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2023-06-24
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-06-24
Buncombe Co.
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Recorded by: Regina Patton on 2023-06-24
Jackson Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-06-21
Madison Co.
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Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2023-06-13
Transylvania Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-06-03
Madison Co.
Comment: