Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFErebidae Members: Lophocampa Members: 63 NC Records

Lophocampa caryae Harris, 1841 - Hickory Tussock Moth

Lophocampa caryaeLophocampa caryaeLophocampa caryaeLophocampa caryae
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Erebidae		Subfamily:
Arctiinae		Tribe:
Arctiini		P3 Number:
930370		 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 Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, 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.
Lophocampa caryaeAlamance 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 Hanover 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.