Moths of North Carolina
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
« »
View PDFErebidae Members:
Zanclognatha Members:
48 NC Records

Zanclognatha dentata Wagner & McCabe, 2011 - Toothed Zanclognatha

Zanclognatha dentataZanclognatha dentataZanclognatha dentataZanclognatha dentata
Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: ErebidaeSubfamily: HerminiinaeP3 Number: 930496.1 MONA Number: 8349.10
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: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Wagner and McCabe (2011)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Wagner and McCabe (2011)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A medium-small brown Deltoid with strongly dentate postmedian lines. The head, body, and ground color of the wings varies from light brown to dark chocolate. The antemedian and postmedian lines are both dark brown, widened and darkened where they join the costa. The antemedian is scalloped or waved and the postmedian is abruptly bent outward at the radial veins and sharply dentate from the cell to the fold. The subterminal is usually not prominent -- thin but traceable. The reniform is dark brown and often concave on the outer side. A dark, diffuse shade often occurs on the inner side of the postmedian, from the cell to the inner margin, but the ground color is otherwise fairly uniform over the forewing. The hindwings are brown (see Wagner and McCabe, 2011, for details). Zanclognatha martha is similar but larger, usually lacks a subterminal line, and is darkened towards the outer margin. Z. protumnusalis is even more similar and not all specimens can be separated. However, it usually lacks the dark shade in front of the postmedian, which also makes a more rounded bend in from the costa. The reniform spot is usually rounded distally rather than concave (Wagner and McCabe, 2011).
Forewing Length: 10.5–13 mm, males (Wagner and McCabe, 2011)
Adult Structural Features: Male and female reproductive structures are indistinguishable from those of protumnusalis, but can be used to separate dentata from lituralis and other similar species (see description and illustrations in Wagner and McCabe, 2011).
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Wagner and McCabe (2011) provide a key to the larvae of Zanglognatha. Those of dentata can be distinguished based on color and pattern from most of the other species in this genus, however, those of dentata are very similar to those of lituralis and need to be separated based on the size and shape of the dorsal pinnacula and the degree of swelling of the dorsal surface of segment A7.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from close inspection of specimens or by DNA analysis.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Appears to be restricted to the Mountains
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
Immature Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Flight Comments: Univoltine, flying from late May to late August
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Generally recorded from both riparian forests and dry slopes in the mountains; found mostly at lower elevations but we have at least one record from above 4,000'
Larval Host Plants: Larvae have been reared on dead oak leaves but have also been collected by beating from both conifers and Witch Hazel (Wagner and McCabe, 2011); Wagner and McCabe also report that Maeir et al. reared larvae they had collected on fir and hemlock on those species - View
Observation Methods: All of our records come from blacklight sampling, but Wagner and McCabe state that dentata also comes to bait
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Montane Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: W3->[off the Watchlist]
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G3G4 SU->[S4S5]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: This species had been recognized as an undescribed species for some time and its distribution in the Southern Appalachians was uncertain. Consequently, it was placed on the NC NHP Watchlist. With its description in 2011, along with records collected throughout the North Carolina mountains, it no longer appears to be of potential conservation concern. It occupies a wide range of habitats in the mountains and appears to be fairly secure within the state. We recommend that it be taken off the NC Watchlist.

 Photo Gallery for Zanclognatha dentata - Toothed Zanclognatha

Photos: 28

Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-09-24
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-09-13
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2024-07-10
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-06
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-09-09
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Lenny Lampel on 2023-07-21
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Chuck Smith on 2023-06-29
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-07-13
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-09-14
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-09-07
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: tom ward on 2021-07-03
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-06-12
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-09-06
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-08-25
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-07-17
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David L. Heavner on 2019-08-28
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-08-24
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-06-27
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David L. Heavner on 2018-08-12
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2018-07-18
Ashe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2018-07-13
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2018-06-30
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2018-06-27
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2018-06-15
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2018-06-02
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2016-08-03
Ashe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2013-07-26
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Doug Blatny/Jackie Nelson on 2012-07-06
Ashe Co.
Comment: