Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFErebidae Members: Zale Members: 32 NC Records

Zale bethunei (Smith, 1908) - Bethune's Zale

Zale bethuneiZale bethuneiZale bethunei
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Erebidae		Subfamily:
Erebinae		Tribe:
Ophiusini		P3 Number:
931040		 MONA Number:
8705.00
Comments: One of 39 species in this genus that occur north of Mexico, 23 of which have been recorded in North Carolina
Species Status: Belongs to a group of pine-feeding Zales, all of which possess a sharp, outward-pointing tooth on the antemedian line where the radial vein crosses.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: McDunnough (1943); Forbes (1954); Rings et al. (1992)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Forbes (1954); Wagner et al. (2011)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Bethunei is fairly easy to recognize, being reddish brown with a heavy overlay of blackish scales. The median line is often composed of triple lines of black, strongly contrasting with lighter reddish brown areas before and after; the postmedian and subterminal lines are also usually black (Forbes, 1954; Rings et al., 1992).
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae of bethunei are relatively constant in coloration, striped pale gray and yellowish brown, and are relatively easy to identify, especially if found on Scrub Pine (Wagner, et al., 2011).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Probably follows the distribution of Scrub Pine in North Carolina, which is absent over the Coastal Plain but widespread in the Piedmont and Mountains.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Zale bethuneiAlamance 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.
Flight Comments: Has at least two broods and a partial third in North Carolina(Wagner et al., 2011); largely overlapping with Z. metata, which also feeds on Scrub Pine
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Scrub Pine grows typically on dry upland sites, including old fields (Weakley, 2012); it is also common on badly eroded sites or other areas with severe soil disturbance. Our records come primarily from dry, upland slopes in the Piedmont and Mountains.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are apparently monophagous, feeding only on Virginia Pine (Pinus virginiana) (Forbes, 1954; Wagner et al., 2011). - View
Observation Methods: May come poorly to lights, which could explain the scarcity of records for what should be a fairly common species. Probably comes well to bait, like other members of this genus.
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Dry-Xeric Pine Forests and Woodlands
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S3S4]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands
Comments: Although seemingly an uncommon species in North Carolina, too little is known about the distribution and habitat affinities of bethunei to estimate its conservation needs.

 Photo Gallery for Zale bethunei - Bethune's Zale

Photos: 20
Zale bethuneiRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-02-28
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Zale bethuneiRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-03-23
Madison Co.
Comment:
Zale bethuneiRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-03-06
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Zale bethuneiRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-06-26
Madison Co.
Comment:
Zale bethuneiRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-04-10
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Zale bethuneiRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-03-11
Madison Co.
Comment:
Zale bethuneiRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-03-10
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Zale bethuneiRecorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-07-13
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Zale bethuneiRecorded by: David L. Heavner on 2019-06-28
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Zale bethuneiRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-06-03
Madison Co.
Comment:
Zale bethuneiRecorded by: Vin Stanton on 2019-04-03
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Zale bethuneiRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-03-24
Madison Co.
Comment:
Zale bethuneiRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-03-14
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Zale bethuneiRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-03-13
Madison Co.
Comment:
Zale bethuneiRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-03-10
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Zale bethuneiRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-03-01
Madison Co.
Comment:
Zale bethuneiRecorded by: B. Bockhahn, P. Scharf, S. Hall on 2015-07-22
Stanly Co.
Comment: 		Zale bethuneiRecorded by: Lenny Lampel on 2015-03-26
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Zale bethuneiRecorded by: Darryl Willis on 2012-06-15
Cabarrus Co.
Comment: 		Zale bethuneiRecorded by: JB Sullivan on 2004-07-12
Swain Co.
Comment: Wing span = 3.5 cm