Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFErebidae Members: Idia Members: 184 NC Records

Idia diminuendis (Barnes & McDunnough, 1918) - Orange-spotted Idia

Idia diminuendisIdia diminuendisIdia diminuendis
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Erebidae		Subfamily:
Herminiinae		P3 Number:
930477		 MONA Number:
8329.00
Comments: One of eighteen species recorded in North America (Lafontaine and Schmidt, 2010), twelve of which are found 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 (1954); Rings et al. (1992)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The second and third segments of the palps are ochre (Forbes, 1954). The ground color of the forewings is dull fuscous with a slight purplish tint. The lines are well-defined, black, waved and irregular. The subterminal is more irregularly dentate and incomplete. The spots are dull orange and surrounded by a black border. The reniform lacks a dark central lunule. Idia aemula can also have orange spots but is larger and differs in the shape and color of its palps.
Wingspan: 18 mm (Forbes, 1954)
Adult Structural Features: Belongs to Forbes' subgenus Pseudaglossa, characterized by long palps -- reaching the vertex -- and with the third segement very long, conical, and smoothly scaled (Forbes, 1954).
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: While relatively common on the coast and in the North Carolina mountains, the species is apparently absent from much of the Piedmont.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Idia diminuendisAlamance 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.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Our records come from a wide variety of forested and open habitats.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on dead leaves and other detritus (Wagner et al., 2011). - View
Observation Methods: Comes to bait and blacklights but not as abundantly as other members of this genus.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Mixed Habitats
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G4 SNR [S4?]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Idia diminuendis - Orange-spotted Idia

Photos: 30
Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Marilyn Westphal and Becky Elkin. on 2025-08-17
Henderson Co.
Comment: 		Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2025-07-14
Yancey Co.
Comment:
Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-09-02
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: Lenny Lampel on 2024-08-29
Union Co.
Comment:
Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Kevin Bischof on 2024-08-07
Transylvania Co.
Comment: 		Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: Erich Hofmann on 2024-07-28
New Hanover Co.
Comment:
Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2024-06-18
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-10
Madison Co.
Comment:
Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-08-31
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-31
Macon Co.
Comment:
Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-31
Swain Co.
Comment: 		Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Becky Watkins on 2023-07-29
Swain Co.
Comment:
Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-07-21
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-05-17
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-05-12
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-08-01
Madison Co.
Comment:
Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2022-07-27
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-07-05
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-07-05
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2022-05-29
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-06-12
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: Vin Stanton on 2020-06-15
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: Vin Stanton on 2020-06-15
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-07-15
Madison Co.
Comment:
Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: Vin Stanton on 2019-05-30
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-05-28
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2018-07-07
Graham Co.
Comment: 		Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2015-08-11
Cherokee Co.
Comment:
Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: Doug Blatny/Jackie Nelson on 2012-07-16
Ashe Co.
Comment: 		Idia diminuendis
Recorded by: Paul Scharf on 2011-05-17
Warren Co.
Comment: