Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Erebidae Members:	Zale Members:	47 NC Records

Zale buchholzi McDunnough, 1943 - Buchholz's Zale

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Noctuoidea

Family:
Erebidae

Subfamily:
Erebinae

Tribe:
Ophiusini

P3 Number:
931041

MONA Number:
8706.00

Comments: One of 39 species in this genus that occur north of Mexico, 23 of which have been recorded in North Carolina. An almost identical undescribed species has also been found in North Carolina; the two are distinguished primarily by genitalic features and different flight dates.

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: (Not included in either field guide but good photos of adults are provided by Wagner et al., 2011)

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

Technical Description, Adults: McDunnough (1943); Forbes (1954)

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

Adult Markings: Buchholzi (and the undescribed species) is the most plainly marked species in the group, with a dull brown ground color covering the entire wing with none of the contrasting light and dark zones shown by the other species. The median line is typically obscure and both the antemedian and postmedian are also usually inconspicuous. The reniform is narrow and dark and has the usual yellowish patch located just beyond it, but neither are as contrasting as in the other members of this group. While a good photograph can be used to distiguish buchholzi from all of the named pine-feeding Zales, dissection is the only definitive way to tell it apart from the undescribed species, although flight dates usually offer a good clue.

Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].

Immatures and Development: Larvae are distinctively marked with green, reddish-brown, and white stripes and when found on Pitch or Pond Pine can probably safely be identified as buchholzi; larvae of the new species have yet to be described (Wagner et al., 2011).

Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: With the exception of one record from Hanging Rock State Park in the western Piedmont, all of our records come from the Coastal Plain

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
Immature 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: True buchholzi has an early spring flight, with most adults out in March and April; adults found in May and June probably all represent the undescribed species (D. Schweitzer, pers. comm. to J.B. Sullivan, 1999).

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Most of our records come from Longleaf Pine habitats. While Pond Pine (P. serotina) is also probably present at many of these sites -- associated with peatlands that usually closely adjoin Longleaf communities -- we do not have any records from Pond Pine Woodlands or other purely peatland habitats. In the Roanoke floodplain site, Loblolly is the most likely host plant. At Hanging Rock and the Mountains, a variety of pines are present, including Pitch Pine (P. rigida), believed to be the host farther north.

Larval Host Plants: Larvae are probably stenophagous, feeding on a narrow range of hard pines. Wagner et al. (2011) report it feeding on Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida) and Pond Pine (P. serotina) in New Jersey, but associated with Longleaf Pine (P. palustris) and Loblolly Pine (P. taeda) southward. In North Carolina, our only feeding record is from Loblolly Pine. - View

Observation Methods: Appears to come moderately well to blacklights, with up to ten having been caught in a single trap. Probably comes well to bait, like other Zale.

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 [S3S4]

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

Comments: Although a uncommonly collected species in North Carolina, too little is known about the distribution and habitat affinities of buchholzi to estimate its conservation needs.

Photo Gallery for Zale buchholzi - Buchholz's Zale

Photos: 16

	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-29 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-15 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: R. Teper, D. George, J. Niznik on 2025-03-28 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-04-12 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-03-17 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-03-07 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-03-07 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2024-03-05 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, Stephen Dunn on 2024-03-03 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-03 Orange Co. Comment: on Loblolly
	Recorded by: Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2021-04-07 Moore Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-04-07 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-03-23 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2020-03-20 Onslow Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: L. Amos on 2014-04-07 Vance Co. Comment:		Recorded by: T. DeSantis on 2014-04-03 Durham Co. Comment: