Moths of North Carolina
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Caenurgina Members:
102 NC Records

Caenurgina erechtea (Cramer, [1780]) - Forage Looper Moth

Caenurgina erechteaCaenurgina erechteaCaenurgina erechtea
Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: ErebidaeSubfamily: ErebinaeTribe: EuclidiiniP3 Number: 930924 MONA Number: 8739.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: This species is sexually dimorphic. The forewings of males are mouse-gray and crossed by two blackish, contrasting bands that are widely separated and usually edged with narrow lines, especially on the lower sides; the antemedian in particular is usually pale and well-marked (Forbes, 1954). The subterminal is composed of a series of dark dots, with strong two dark marks below the apex. The orbicular is a dot and the reniform is typically obscure. Females are duller and browner and have only faint bands, if any. Both sexes of Caenurgina crassiuscula are similar to the males of erechtea but are much browner (Forbes, 1954). The two bars are more diffuse in crassicula and usually only partly outlined; the upper bar, when complete, forms a wide loop that either joins or nearly touches the lower bar near the inner margin (Forbes, 1954). Males of these two species may need to be dissected in order to definitely identify them.
Wingspan: 30 mm in the spring brood; 40 mm in the summer brood (Forbes, 1954)
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: Our records come from open, herbaceous habitats as well as forested and woodlands, probably mainly along edges or openings.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on grasses, legumes, and Ragweed (Robinson et al., 2010; Wagner et al., 2011). - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Successional and Semi-Natural Grasslands
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 S5
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Caenurgina erechtea - Forage Looper Moth

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

Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-20
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-19
Buncombe Co.
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Recorded by: Claudia Nielson on 2024-09-15
Forsyth Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-08-09
Mitchell Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-08-08
Mitchell Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2024-05-21
Transylvania Co.
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Recorded by: Avery Young on 2023-09-25
Haywood Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Avery Young on 2023-09-25
Haywood Co.
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Recorded by: Andrew W. Jones on 2023-09-07
Polk Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2023-08-17
Watauga Co.
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Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-25
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-25
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn on 2023-02-16
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2023-02-10
Wake Co.
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Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2023-02-10
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-05-20
Wake Co.
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Recorded by: Stephen Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2021-09-13
Ashe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2021-09-11
Transylvania Co.
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Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-05-28
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Barbara McRae on 2020-10-07
Macon Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-08-28
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-07-11
Guilford Co.
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Recorded by: David L. Heavner on 2018-09-06
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2018-06-06
Guilford Co.
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Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2017-10-18
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2017-08-20
Robeson Co.
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Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2016-02-21
Burke Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: B. Bockhahn, K. Kittelberger, P. Scharf on 2015-06-18
Avery Co.
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Recorded by: B. Bockhahn, K. Kittelberger, P. Scharf on 2015-06-17
Caldwell Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2015-04-04
Cabarrus Co.
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