Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Erebidae Members:	Dinumma Members:	49 NC Records

Dinumma deponens Walker, 1858 - No Common Name

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Noctuoidea

Family:
Erebidae

Subfamily:
Scoliopteryginae

Tribe:
Anomini

P3 Number:
930611.5

MONA Number:
8554.50

Species Status: The genus Dinumma contains 10 described species that occur from India to Australia, and north to Siberia, Japan and the Philippines. Dinumma deponens is an introduced species that ranges from India to eastern China, Japan, Korea and Thailand. It was first documented in North America in 2012 in northern Georgia (Adams et al. 2013), and has rapidly dispersed throughout the eastern US since then. It now occurs in a broad area extending from New Jersey southward to Florida, and westward to the Mississippi River. Dinumma deponens was first documented in North Carolina in 2013 in Cabarrus County (Adams et al. 2013). It has since been found at multiple sites in the Piedmont and Blue Ridge.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Because of its recent appearance in the US, this species is not included in popular field guides such as Beadle and Leckie (2012).

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

Adult Markings: This species is easily identified by the presence of a large brownish-black median band on the forewing, together with a dark spot near the outer margin.

Wingspan: Approximately 40 mm.

Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.

Immatures and Development: The larvae are specialists on the Silktree (or Mimosa; Albizia julibrissin). This arborescent legume was introduced to North America in 1745 and is now considered to be an invasive species in many areas of the eastern US.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: As of 2019, Dinumma has only been documented in the Blue Ridge and Piedmont, even though the host plant occurs statewide. The lack of records for the Coastal Plain may reflect the fact that this species has only recently become established in NC, and that the Silktree is less widespread and abundant in the Coastal Plain relative to the Piedmont.

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: Generally restricted to habitats that support the host plant. Albizia julibrissin occurs throughout North Carolina where it thrives in disturbed, sunny habitats such as old fields, stream edges and roadsides. Stephen Dunn and David George have documented overwintering adults in urban drainage systems in the Piedmont. Presumably in natural areas, they make use of caves and other dark recesses.

Larval Host Plants: Larvae are monophagous and only known to feed on Persian Silk Tree (Albizia julibrissin) in the United States. We do not have any feeding records in North Carolina. - View

Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to black lights and incandescent lights, and will come to bait (Adams et al. 2013). If you are up for a crawl into a storm drain in the winter, adults can be found overwintering.

Wikipedia

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR SNR [SNA]

State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.

Comments: As an introduced species, Dinumma does not merit any concerns about its conservation. Since it is apparently restricted to feeding on a host plant that is itself an introduced species, its spread is probably not likely to have any adverse effects on our native species or ecosystems.

Photo Gallery for Dinumma deponens - None

52 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

	Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2025-06-28 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George on 2025-06-07 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George on 2025-06-07 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2025-04-19 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn on 2024-01-28 Durham Co. Comment: overwintering in urban drainage system		Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2024-01-24 Forsyth Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2024-01-24 Forsyth Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2023-07-11 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-06-04 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Steve Hall, Jim Petranka, and Bo Sullivan on 2022-07-25 Moore Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2022-07-13 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-07-12 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2022-04-12 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2021-09-10 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2021-08-10 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-06-15 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-04-27 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2021-04-08 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-11-10 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-09-10 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-09-09 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-08-21 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-08-12 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-07-26 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Steve Hall on 2020-07-25 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2020-07-25 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-07-11 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-07-10 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-03-27 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-03-27 Guilford Co. Comment: