Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFErebidae Members: Zanclognatha Members: 51 NC Records

Zanclognatha pedipilalis (Guenée, 1854) - Grayish Zanclognatha

Zanclognatha pedipilalisZanclognatha pedipilalisZanclognatha pedipilalis
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Erebidae		Subfamily:
Herminiinae		P3 Number:
930495		 MONA Number:
8348.00		 Other Common Name:
Grayish Fan-foot
Comments: One of thirteen species in this genus that occur in North America north of Mexico (Lafontaine and Schmidt, 2010; 2013; Wagner and McCabe, 2011), all 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 (1954)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A small, pale gray Deltoid. The ground color of the forewings is clay-color, dusted with darker gray (Forbes, 1954). The lines are all dark, fine, and single (i.e., not bordered or filled with white). The antemedian is excurved or nearly straight, and is even rather than waved or dentate. The postmedian is strongly excurved (more than usual) opposite the cell and somewhat pointed and even rather than dentate. The subterminal is straight and somewhat oblique, running from the inner line towards the apex but not quite reaching it. A dark terminal line is also present, accented at the apex and with a distinctive luteous spot located just above it. Hindwings are similar in color and pattern. Zanclognatha cruralis is similar in having an even antemedian line, but the subterminal line is bicolored -- black bordered with pale -- and runs completely across the wing; the apex in cruralis also lacks the luteous dot characteristic of pedipilalis.
Wingspan: 30 mm (Forbes, 1954)
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Zanclognatha pedipilalisAlamance 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.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Most of our records come from mesic forests, including cove forests and northern hardwoods in the Mountains and bottomland hardwoods in the Piedmont; a few also come from semi-wooded residential neighborhoods.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on dead leaves and detritus (Wagner et al., 2011). - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Wet-Mesic Hardwood Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S3S4]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Zanclognatha pedipilalis - Grayish Zanclognatha

Photos: 28
Zanclognatha pedipilalisRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-05-02
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha pedipilalisRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-04-27
Madison Co.
Comment:
Zanclognatha pedipilalisRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-07-26
Alamance Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha pedipilalisRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-07-08
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Zanclognatha pedipilalisRecorded by: Regina Patton on 2024-05-31
Jackson Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha pedipilalisRecorded by: Owen McConnell on 2024-05-23
Graham Co.
Comment:
Zanclognatha pedipilalisRecorded by: Regina Patton on 2024-05-09
Jackson Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha pedipilalisRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2023-08-23
Madison Co.
Comment:
Zanclognatha pedipilalisRecorded by: John Petranka on 2023-06-06
Alleghany Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha pedipilalisRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-05-31
Madison Co.
Comment:
Zanclognatha pedipilalisRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-08-09
Watauga Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha pedipilalisRecorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2022-08-06
Yancey Co.
Comment:
Zanclognatha pedipilalisRecorded by: tom ward on 2022-05-16
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha pedipilalisRecorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-05-14
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Zanclognatha pedipilalisRecorded by: John Petranka on 2021-08-11
Alleghany Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha pedipilalisRecorded by: Owen McConnell on 2021-05-18
Graham Co.
Comment:
Zanclognatha pedipilalisRecorded by: Owen McConnell on 2021-05-11
Graham Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha pedipilalisRecorded by: Simpson Eason on 2020-05-30
Durham Co.
Comment:
Zanclognatha pedipilalisRecorded by: Simpson Eason on 2019-09-10
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha pedipilalisRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-05-15
Madison Co.
Comment:
Zanclognatha pedipilalisRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2018-07-11
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha pedipilalisRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2018-05-27
Madison Co.
Comment:
Zanclognatha pedipilalisRecorded by: Gary Maness on 2018-05-11
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha pedipilalisRecorded by: Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2016-06-14
Ashe Co.
Comment:
Zanclognatha pedipilalisRecorded by: Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2014-09-25
Ashe Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha pedipilalisRecorded by: Vin Stanton on 2011-05-22
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Zanclognatha pedipilalisRecorded by: Vin Stanton on 2011-05-12
Henderson Co.
Comment: 		Zanclognatha pedipilalisRecorded by: E. Corey on 2007-07-12
Ashe Co.
Comment: