Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Noctuidae Members:	Trichoplusia Members:	29 NC Records

Trichoplusia ni (Hübner, [1803]) - Cabbage Looper Moth

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Noctuoidea

Family:
Noctuidae

Subfamily:
Plusiinae

Tribe:
Argyrogrammatini

P3 Number:
931168

MONA Number:
8887.00

Other Common Name:
Ni Moth

Comments: The only member of its genus found in the New World and possibly not closely related to the Old World species (Lafontaine and Poole, 1991).

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)

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

Technical Description, Adults: Forbes (1954, as Plusia ni); Lafontaine and Poole (1991)

Adult Markings: A medium-sized Looper, primarily shaded with dull, dark gray but with some brown and greenish shades variably present. The antemedian and postmedian are both waved but are non-contrasting and inconspicuous (Forbes, 1954). The subterminal is more strongly marked, with rounded dentations towards the costa and more pointed ones towards the inner margin; a series of black dashes extends from the upper portion of the subterminal towards the postmedian (Forbes, 1954; Lafontaine and Poole, 1954). The silver stigma is the most conspicuous mark, composed of a u-shaped basal portion followed by an solid silver spot. The orbicular may also have a small amount of silver in its border, but the reniform is usually obscure. Hindwings are fuscous.

Wingspan: 35 mm (Forbes, 1954)

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

Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from close inspection of specimens or by DNA analysis.

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:

Larval Host Plants: Larvae are polyphagous on herbaceous species, including many crop species such as asparagus, cabbage, watermelon, tobacco, peas, tomato, and corn (Wagner et al., 2011). - View

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Fields, Gardens, and Ruderal Habitats

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR SNR [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 Trichoplusia ni - Cabbage Looper Moth

Photos: 11

	Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2020-08-17 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-08-12 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-08-28 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-08-28 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2019-07-28 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2019-07-28 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Salman Abdulali on 2017-09-03 Pitt Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Doug Blatny/Jackie Nelson on 2012-10-03 Ashe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Paul Scharf on 2010-07-21 Warren Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Taylor Piephoff on 2010-05-11 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Newman, Randy on 2005-07-27 Carteret Co. Comment: