Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFErebidae Members:
Metallata Members:
57 NC Records

Metallata absumens (Walker, 1862) - Variable Metallata Moth

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: ErebidaeSubfamily: EulepidotinaeTribe: PanopodiniP3 Number: 931075.00 MONA Number: 8573.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF                                                                                 
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.
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: In North Carolina, this species is most abundant on barrier islands and the Outer Coastal Plain. Records from the Piedmont may represent populations associated with planted waxmyrtles. Records from the Mountains, including Mt. Mitchell, more likely represent migrants.
Larval Host Plants: One larva collected on Bayberry was reared to adulthood, confirming it as absumens (J.B. Sullivan, pers. obs.). That observation, together with the fact that most of our records come from barrier islands and other sites where Waxmyrtles are common, suggest that members of the Myrtaceae are the likely host plants.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for Myricaceous Thickets
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: [GNR] 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 Metallata absumens - Variable Metallata Moth

Photos: 19

Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-10-29
Pender Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2021-06-17
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Bo Sullivan and Steve Hall on 2021-06-07
Moore Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2020-11-21
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2020-11-06
Onslow Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2020-10-16
Durham Co.
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Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2020-10-02
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2020-07-11
Onslow Co.
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Recorded by: David L. Heavner on 2019-07-06
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-06-21
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2019-05-09
Yancey Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-05-02
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2014-05-14
Cabarrus Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2013-05-26
Cabarrus Co.
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Recorded by: Steve Hall on 2012-06-28
Martin Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Newman, Randy on 2006-06-15
Carteret Co.
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Recorded by: Newman,Randy on 2006-05-05
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Newman, Randy on 2005-07-21
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Newman, Randy on 2005-05-28
Carteret Co.
Comment: