Moths of North Carolina
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Diachrysia Members:
6 NC Records

Diachrysia balluca Geyer, 1832 - Green-patched Looper

Diachrysia ballucaDiachrysia ballucaDiachrysia balluca
Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: NoctuidaeSubfamily: PlusiinaeTribe: PlusiiniP3 Number: 931179 MONA Number: 8897.00
Comments: One of two species in this genus that occurs in North America (Lafontaine and Poole, 1991), both of which are found in North Carolina. Lafontaine and Poole note that this genus appears to be quite heterogeneneous and that our two species may eventually be placed in separate genera.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1954); Lafontaine and Poole (1991)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Medium-sized but our largest Looper. The forewings are distinctive in possessing shimmering, metallic green shades in the lower median, subterminal, and upper terminal areas. The remaining areas of the forewing are light brownish gray but may also be somewhat shaded with green or otherwise shiny. No stigma is present.
Wingspan: 40-50 mm (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 all come from high elevation sites but details are missing regarding the exact habitats used.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae have been recorded on Hops, Giant Hyssop, Raspberry, Wood Nettle, and Aspen (Lafontaine and Poole, 1991; Wagner et al., 2011). Lafontaine and Poole noted that most records come from woody species. Wagner et al. speculated that this species could have a preference for Urticales. - View
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 S2S3
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Diachrysia balluca - Green-patched Looper

Photos: 4

Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-07-25
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-07-25
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-07-25
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: B. Bockhahn, P. Scharf, K. Kittelberger on 2015-06-19
Avery Co.
Comment: