Moths of North Carolina

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Zale obliqua (Guenée, 1852) - Oblique Zale

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Noctuoidea

Family:
Erebidae

Subfamily:
Erebinae

Tribe:
Ophiusini

P3 Number:
931034

MONA Number:
8699.00

Comments: One of 39 species in this genus that occur north of Mexico, 23 of which have been recorded in North Carolina. Zale obliqua and squamularis are closely related and apparently form a species complex with one or more undescribed species (Wagner et al., 2011)

Species Status: Belongs to a group of pine-feeding Zales, all of which possess a sharp, outward-pointing tooth where the radial vein crosses the antemedian line.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984)

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

Technical Description, Adults: McDunnough (1943); Forbes (1954); Rings et al. (1992)

Technical Description, Immature Stages: Forbes (1954), Wagner et al. (2011)

Adult Markings: Obliqua is one of the easier species in this group to recognize: smoothly patterned pale brown and blue gray, with only a slight contrast between the antemedial and postmedial areas (before and after the medial line). The medial line forms a boundary between a lighter, more basal area and a darker, more distal area; this line is contiguous with the inner edge of the reniform in obliqua and Z. squamularis but crosses the wing before the reniform in the other pine-feeding species. Obliqua is larger than squamularis and differs by having a much less contrasting medial line (which is blackish in squamularis) and showing much less contrast between the pale antemedial area and the darker postmedial area.

Wingspan: 40 mm (Forbes, 1954)

Adult Structural Features: Male reproductive structures are illustrated by McDunnough (1943) and Forbes (1954), but the main differences between squamularis and obliqua is size: the left valve is about 7 mm long in obliqua compared to 5 mm in squamularis. For other structural differences separating squamularis and obliqua from the other pine-feeding Zales, see key to the male genitalia in Forbes (1954).

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

Immatures and Development: Larvae of obliqua are very similar to those of squamularis and some of the other pine-feeding Zales; identification requires rearing them to the adult stage (Wagner, et al., 2011).

Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: Occurs over most of the state except the High 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
Flight Comments: Appears to have just a single brood in the Mountains but may have a spring and summer brood in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: The majority of our records come from the Coastal Plain, where it is associated with a range of wet-to-xeric forests: blackwater and brownwater floodplain forests, Non-riverine Swamp Forests, Coastal Fringe Evergreen Forests and Maritime Deciduous Forests, Wet Longleaf Pine Savannas and Flatwoods, and Pine-scrub oak Sandhills. In the Piedmont and Mountains, it has been recorded in both wet, riparian habitats and dry ridges.

Larval Host Plants: Larvae are stenophagous, apparently feeding on just a few species of pine. Wagner et al. (2011) state that Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida) is the primary host plant in the North. In North Carolina, however, Pitch Pine is restricted to the Mountains, where it may be used to some extent although there are also a number of other possibilities. Over most of its range in North Carolina, Z. obliqua probably uses Longleaf Pine (P. palustris) and Loblolly Pine (P. taeda), occurring at some sites where each of these two pines is the only one present. It may also feed on Pond Pine (P. serotina), a close relative of Pitch Pine, which often occurs in combination with the other two species. However, we only have a few records from peatland habitats, where Pond Pine is most abundant, and only from sites where Loblolly Pine is also present. - View

Observation Methods: Comes well to both blacklights and bait.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Pine Forests and Woodlands

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S4S5]

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

Comments: Although the distribution in the Piedmont needs to be better documented, obliqua occupies a wide range of habitats across most of the state and appears to be secure.

Photo Gallery for Zale obliqua - Oblique Zale

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

	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-05 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-06-23 Moore Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George, Larry Chen, Sarah Toner, Joye Zhou on 2025-06-20 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-20 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-18 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-05-24 Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-21 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-30 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka and Sally Gewalt on 2025-04-29 Warren Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-06 Rowan Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-04-05 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-01 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-30 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-30 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-28 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2025-03-28 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-23 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-12 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Stephen Dunn on 2024-08-02 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-07-30 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Patrick Coin, Steve Hall, Carol Tingley, Tom Howard on 2024-07-27 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2024-07-18 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-07-16 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-07-08 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-07-05 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George on 2024-07-04 Chatham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Stephen Dunn on 2024-06-29 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-06-18 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-15 Scotland Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Rich Teper on 2024-05-13 Chatham Co. Comment: