Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFErebidae Members: Palthis Members: 741 NC Records

Palthis asopialis (Guenée, 1854) - Faint-spotted Palthis

Palthis asopialisPalthis asopialisPalthis asopialisPalthis asopialis
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Erebidae		Subfamily:
Herminiinae		P3 Number:
930552		 MONA Number:
8398.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Immature Stages: Wagner et al. (2011)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The ground color is typically a dark, purplish brown (Forbes, 1954). The antemedian is dark brown, edged with pale, and usually angled at the middle. A diffuse, dark median shade runs obliquely across the wing but unlike Palthis angulalis is not strongly incurved at the inner margin. The postmedian and subterminal are both irregular; the subterminal is strongly oblique in from the costa. Both the orbicular and reniform spots are black and contrasting, with a pale line dividing the reniform. A pale terminal patch is bordered by a black, contrasting subterminal patch. P. angulalis is similar but is a paler reddish brown; the median shade is more strongly incurved at the inner margin; the orbicular is obsolete and the reniform is not divided by a pale line; the apical patch is usually reddish brown and the subapical patch is often yellowish but not contrastingly black.
Wingspan: 22 mm (Forbes, 1954)
Adult Structural Features: The palps of both sexes are very long and have a bushy tuft at the apex. In the males, the first two segments are strongly recurved and the palps lie over the back, reaching the abdomen; they are also often contrastingly orange-yellow and tucked in by the surrounding thoracic scales, forming what appears to be a pale, mid-dorsal line. In the females, the palps project forward.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from close inspection of specimens or by DNA analysis.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Occurs statewide in North Carolina.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Palthis asopialisAlamance 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.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Found in a wide range of habitats from swamps to barrens (Wagner et al., 2011). Our records come primarily from hardwood forests but including maritime forests, swamps, mesic slopes, and northern hardwoods
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are polyphagous, feeding on both living and dead plants. Wagner et al. (2011) specifically list wild indigo (Baptisia), beggarticks (Bidens), wild bean (Phaseolus), and Corn (Zea mays). - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Hardwood Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S5]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Palthis asopialis - Faint-spotted Palthis

 359 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Tony McBride, Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-10-29
Craven Co.
Comment: 		Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Marilyn Westphal on 2025-10-18
Henderson Co.
Comment:
Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-10-18
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-10-17
Madison Co.
Comment:
Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2025-10-16
Cumberland Co.
Comment: 		Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-10-13
Madison Co.
Comment:
Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Marilyn Westphal on 2025-10-12
Henderson Co.
Comment: 		Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: R. Newman on 2025-10-10
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Marilyn Westphal on 2025-10-08
Henderson Co.
Comment: 		Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-10-03
Rowan Co.
Comment:
Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-10-02
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-10-02
Richmond Co.
Comment:
Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Marilyn Westphal on 2025-10-01
Henderson Co.
Comment: 		Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-09-28
Madison Co.
Comment:
Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-09-20
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Mark Shields, Laurie Hamon on 2025-09-19
Onslow Co.
Comment:
Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-09-10
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-09-08
Moore Co.
Comment:
Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2025-08-25
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Marilyn Westphal on 2025-08-19
Henderson Co.
Comment:
Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Marilyn Westphal and Becky Elkin. on 2025-08-17
Henderson Co.
Comment: 		Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-09
Ashe Co.
Comment:
Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Melody McMichael on 2025-08-09
Forsyth Co.
Comment: 		Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Melody McMichael on 2025-08-09
Forsyth Co.
Comment:
Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Melody McMichael on 2025-08-06
Forsyth Co.
Comment: 		Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Melody McMichael on 2025-08-06
Forsyth Co.
Comment:
Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Melody McMichael on 2025-08-06
Forsyth Co.
Comment: 		Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-07-29
Madison Co.
Comment:
Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-29
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Palthis asopialis
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-07-26
Madison Co.
Comment: