Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFErebidae Members: Lophocampa Members: 23 NC Records

Lophocampa maculata Harris, 1841 - Spotted Tussock Moth

Lophocampa maculataLophocampa maculataLophocampa maculataLophocampa maculata
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Erebidae		Subfamily:
Arctiinae		Tribe:
Arctiini		P3 Number:
930373		 MONA Number:
8214.00
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 caryae. Differs from Halysidota and Leucanopsis in having a more constrasting pattern of alternating bands of lighter buff and darker brown but lacks the white spots that are characteristic of L. caryae.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae are boldly patterned with a broad area of yellow or cream in the middle of the abdomen, black with long white pencils at both ends of the body, and a mid-dorsal row of black tufts (Forbes, 1960; Wagner, 2005). Similar in coloration to larvae of Euchaetes egle, but with a different arrangement of the areas of black and yellow.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Found primarily in the Mountains but with records from the Eastern Piedmont and Fall-line Sandhills (which need to be verified)
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Lophocampa maculataAlamance 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: Probably has a single flight in early summer
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Records from the Mountains come from upland sites along the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park; records from the Piedmont come from lakeshore habitats.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are polyphagous, feeding on many species of hardwood trees and shrubs but preferring alder (Alnus spp.) and willow (Salix spp.) (Wagner, 2005). While there are numerous larval records from North Carolina, the host plants were not recorded. - View
Observation Methods: Records from the Mountains were all obtained using blacklights but it is unclear how well this species comes to lights in general.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: [W-PK]
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S2S3]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: Uncommonly recorded in North Carolina, where its distribution, abundance, and habitat associations need to be better understood before its conservation status can be accurately assessed.

 Photo Gallery for Lophocampa maculata - Spotted Tussock Moth

Photos: 17
Lophocampa maculataRecorded by: ASH on 2024-08-22
Yancey Co.
Comment: 		Lophocampa maculataRecorded by: ASH on 2024-08-22
Yancey Co.
Comment:
Lophocampa maculataRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-07-11
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Lophocampa maculataRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2024-06-25
Yancey Co.
Comment:
Lophocampa maculataRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-19
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Lophocampa maculataRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2023-06-25
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Lophocampa maculataRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2023-06-25
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Lophocampa maculataRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-08-30
Yancey Co.
Comment:
Lophocampa maculataRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-05-21
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Lophocampa maculataRecorded by: K. Bischof on 2020-08-15
Yancey Co.
Comment:
Lophocampa maculataRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin, Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2019-07-30
Yancey Co.
Comment: 		Lophocampa maculataRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-06-07
Madison Co.
Comment:
Lophocampa maculataRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-06-07
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Lophocampa maculataRecorded by: David L. Heavner on 2017-08-30
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Lophocampa maculataRecorded by: David L. Heavner on 2017-08-30
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Lophocampa maculataRecorded by: K. Bischof on 2016-06-28
Yancey Co.
Comment:
Lophocampa maculataRecorded by: K. Bischof on 2014-05-26
Yancey Co.
Comment: