Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFErebidae Members: Litoprosopus Members: 17 NC Records

Litoprosopus futilis (Grote & Robinson, 1868) - Palmetto Borer Moth

Litoprosopus futilisLitoprosopus futilisLitoprosopus futilisLitoprosopus futilis
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Erebidae		Subfamily:
Eulepidotinae		Tribe:
(incertae sedis) Grp. 2		P3 Number:
931160.5		 MONA Number:
8556.00		 Other Common Name:
Cabbage Palm Caterpillar
Comments: One of five species in this genus that occur in North America north of Mexico (Lafontaine and Schmidt, 2010)
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Grote and Robinson (1868)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Wagner et al. (2011)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A medium-sized, light grayish- to yellowish brown Erebid. The head, body, and wings are concolorous, "greyish fawn" (Grote and Robinson, 1868); transverse lines are darker brown, double, and often incomplete; the orbicular and reniform are also darker brown. The most conspicuous marking are dark eyespots located at the anal angle of the hindwngs. Photographs are acceptable as records for this species where they show the hindwings.
Wingspan: 38 mm (Grote and Robinson, 1868)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].
Immatures and Development: Larvae are dark brown, striped with narrow yellow, and possess sparse but conspicuous long, pale setae. The head is shiny and deep reddish brown and the pro-thoracic shield and anal plate are shiny black (see Wagner et al., 2011, for illustrations and a detailed description)
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Found mostly along the coast but migrants have been observed in the mountains (J.B.Sullivan, pers. obs.) and can potentially show up anywhere within the state as migrants
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Litoprosopus futilisAlamance 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.
Flight Comments: Probably univoltine; our records for adults come from mid-June to mid-October
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: A breeding population has only been recorded in Beaufort in North Carolina, where it larvae were found feeding on planted Cabbage Palms. So far we do not have any records from Bald Head Island where our only native population of Cabbage Palm occurs.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae bore into the inflorescences of Cabbage Palmetto (Sabal palmetto) (Wagner et a., 2011), but have not been recorded on Dwarf Palmetto (S. minor), our most common species. In North Carolina, Bo Sullivan recorded larvae on Cabbage Palmetto. - View
Observation Methods: This species appears to come poorly to lights. Caterpillars are known to come to bait (Wagner et al., 2011; J.B. Sullivan, pers. obs.).
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for Live Oak Forests and Maritime Scrub Thickets
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: W-PK
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G4 S1S2
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: Although larvae of this species have been found in Beaufort (J.B. Sullivan, pers. obs.), this species has yet to be observed at Bald Head Island -- despite extensive sampling -- where it could have its northernmost naturally occurring population. If documented, its population at that site would be of at least some conservation significance; continued efforts should be made to determine its presence and breeding status at that site. Elsewhere in the state, this species is mainly a migrant, where it has no conservation value; populations established on planted populations of Cabbage Palm along the coast likewise have little to no relevance for conservation.

 Photo Gallery for Litoprosopus futilis - Palmetto Borer Moth

Photos: 9
Litoprosopus futilisRecorded by: R. Newman on 2024-04-06
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Litoprosopus futilisRecorded by: R. Newman on 2023-07-19
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Litoprosopus futilisRecorded by: R. Newman on 2023-07-18
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Litoprosopus futilisRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-18
New Hanover Co.
Comment:
Litoprosopus futilisRecorded by: R. Newman on 2022-07-30
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Litoprosopus futilisRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2022-06-18
New Hanover Co.
Comment:
Litoprosopus futilisRecorded by: R. Newman on 2021-03-26
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Litoprosopus futilisRecorded by: R. Newman on 2021-03-26
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Litoprosopus futilisRecorded by: Newman, Randy on 2006-06-28
Carteret Co.
Comment: FOMA - Attracted to mercury vapor light