Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Erebidae Members:	Zanclognatha Members:	20 NC Records

Zanclognatha lituralis complex (no author) - No Common Name

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Taxonomy

Family:
Erebidae

P3 Number:
0.00

MONA Number:
8340.20

Comments: Populations that are currently recognized as Zanclognatha lituralis appear to constitute a species complex composed of at least two species (Rings et al., 1996). Barcoding indicates that there are two distinct genetic groups in North Carolina that differ genetically by more than two percent. The two groups seem to segregate spatially, with true Z. lituralis occurring in the Blue Ridge and western Piedmont, and a second species (here referred to as 'Zanclognatha near lituralis') occurring in the Coastal Plain (J.B. Sullivan, pers. comm.). Specimens from the Blue Ridge and Box Creek Preserve in Rutherford County barcode as true Z. lituralis, while over 20 specimens from several sites in the Coastal Plain all barcode as 'Zanclognatha near lituralis'. Specimens from the central and eastern Piedmont have yet to be barcoded and could possibly be mixtures of both forms. Here, we provisionally treat specimens from the Blue Ridge and western Piedmont as Z. lituralis and those from the Coastal Plain as 'Zanclognatha near lituralis'. Those from the central and eastern Piedmont are placed in this account as members of the Z. lituralis complex since their taxonomic affinities are uncertain. Dissections so far have not shown definitive characters that will separate the two species. In females there are three potential characters that may be helpful. These include the ductus being shorter in true Z. lituralis, the anterior end of the ductus being sclerotized in 'Zanclognatha near lituralis', and the field of cornuti beneath the crenulated anterior end of the bursa being vertically divided in 'Zanclognatha near lituralis'. Macro characters that might help include the average size of specimens and the clarity of the markings on the forewing. More data is need on size, and we encourage submitters to report the front wing lengths of their specimens.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions:

Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution:

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

Habitats and Life History

Habitats:

Larval Host Plants:

Wikipedia

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks:

State Protection:

Comments:

Photo Gallery for Zanclognatha lituralis complex - No common name

Photos: 11

	Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2025-04-30 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Steve Hall, Patrick Coin, Mark Basinger on 2024-06-16 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Hall, David George, and David Bradley on 2024-05-07 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2022-05-15 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-06-13 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-09-08 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-04-29 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: B. Bockhahn, P. Scharf, S. Hall on 2015-07-22 Stanly Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: B. Bockhahn, P. Scharf, L. Amos on 2015-05-12 Warren Co. Comment: Piedmont form		Recorded by: Robert Gilson on 2015-04-21 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2014-05-14 Cabarrus Co. Comment: