Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFErebidae Members:
Lophocampa Members:
59 NC Records

Lophocampa caryae Harris, 1841 - Hickory Tussock Moth


Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: ErebidaeSubfamily: ArctiinaeTribe: ArctiiniP3 Number: 930370.00 MONA Number: 8211.00
Comments: One of eleven species in this genus that occurs in North America (Lafontaine and Schmidt, 2010), only two of which have been recorded in North Carolina
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1960)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Forbes (1960); Wagner (2005)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Similar in size and wing shape to Halysidota sp., Leucanopsis longa, and Lophocampa maculata. Differs from all of them in having a much more constrasting pattern of translucent white or cream spots running in rows against a darker brown background and in possessing one or two streaks of dark brown that run obliquely across the forewings from the costa to the inner margin. Larvae are also quite distinctive, being primarily pure white with a row of mid-dorsal black tufts, rows of lateral black spots, and two pairs of longer black pencils near the anterior and posterior ends of the abdomen.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae of some Apatelodes torrefacta are also covered by dense white hair with a mid-dorsal row of black tufts but lack the paired black pencils found in caryae.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Probably is restricted to the Mountains (sight records from the Coastal Plain need to be confirmed)
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)

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