Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNolidae Members: Meganola Members: 278 NC Records

Meganola minuscula (Zeller, 1872) - Confused Meganola

Meganola minusculaMeganola minusculaMeganola minuscula
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Nolidae		Subfamily:
Nolinae		P3 Number:
931121		 MONA Number:
8983.00		 Other Common Name:
Confused Oak Punkie
Comments: One of eight described species in this genus that occur in North America, three of which are found in North Carolina.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Immature Stages: Wagner et al. (2011)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: All three of our Meganola species are relatively small gray moths with similar markings. Compared to Meganola phylla, M. minuscula has a relatively weak spot at the center of the costa and weak shading at the base of the costa, but comparatively stronger lines, with the postmedian double rather than single opposite the cell (Dyar, 1898; Forbes, 1948). Compared to Meganola spodia, M. minuscula is a lighter, whitish or silvery gray without a brown tint, as is particularly evident on the hindwing, which is much darker in M. spodia. The costal spot on the forewing is also triangular in minuscula rather than rectangular as it is in spodia (Franclemont, 1985).
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Occurs statewide in North Carolina.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Meganola minusculaAlamance 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 Hanover 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.