Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNolidae Members: Meganola Members: 333 NC Records

Meganola phylla (Dyar, 1898) - Coastal Plain Meganola

Meganola phyllaMeganola phyllaMeganola phyllaMeganola phylla
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Nolidae		Subfamily:
Nolinae		P3 Number:
931122		 MONA Number:
8983.10		 Other Common Name:
Two-spotted 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: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: All three of our Meganola species are relatively small gray moths with similar markings. Compared to both Meganola minusculua and spodia, M. phylla has a more sharply defined, darker black spot at the center of the costa and darker black shading at the base of the costa, but comparatively weaker lines, with the postmedian often single rather than double opposite the cell (Dyar, 1898; Forbes, 1948). Meganola phylla also typically has a well-defined dark blotch near the posterior margin of the thorax. Nola triquetrana is similar in size and color, also possessing strong dark spots along the costa, but has an additional third spot at the costal end of the antemedian line that is missing in M. phylla. It also lacks the dark thoracic blotch that is present on M. phylla.
Wingspan: 17-18 mm (Forbes, 1960; measurement for minuscula, which Forbes considered to be very similar)
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Despite its common name, this species is not confined to the Coastal Plain. Instead, it has a state-wide range, occurring in the high mountains to the barrier islands.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Meganola phyllaAlamance 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%20Hanover 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.
Immature 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: immatures.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on beech (Fagus) and oaks, including White Oak (Quercus alba), Blackjack Oak (Q. marilandica), and Dwarf Chinquapin Oak (Q. prinoides) (Wagner et al., 2011). We do not have any feeding records in North Carolina. - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Oak-Hickory Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR SNR [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 Meganola phylla - Coastal Plain Meganola

 192 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Meganola phyllaRecorded by: John Petranka, Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-09
Cumberland Co.
Comment: 		Meganola phyllaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-02
Wilson Co.
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Meganola phyllaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-04-22
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Meganola phyllaRecorded by: Emily Stanley on 2025-04-21
Buncombe Co.
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Meganola phyllaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-04-19
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Meganola phyllaRecorded by: Jim Petranka, John Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-04-14
Bladen Co.
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Meganola phyllaRecorded by: K. Bischof on 2025-04-14
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Meganola phyllaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2025-04-05
Chatham Co.
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Meganola phyllaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik, Larry Chen on 2025-04-02
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Meganola phyllaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-23
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Meganola phyllaRecorded by: R. Newman on 2024-11-18
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Meganola phyllaRecorded by: David George, Randy Newman on 2024-10-28
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Meganola phyllaRecorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2024-09-12
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Meganola phyllaRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-08-27
Madison Co.
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Meganola phyllaRecorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson on 2024-08-17
Johnston Co.
Comment: 		Meganola phyllaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-08-08
Madison Co.
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Meganola phyllaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-08-08
Mitchell Co.
Comment: 		Meganola phyllaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Kevin Bischof on 2024-08-07
Transylvania Co.
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Meganola phyllaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Kevin Bischof on 2024-08-07
Transylvania Co.
Comment: 		Meganola phyllaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-08-05
Transylvania Co.
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Meganola phyllaRecorded by: Owen McConnell on 2024-08-03
Graham Co.
Comment: 		Meganola phyllaRecorded by: Simpson Eason on 2024-07-29
Durham Co.
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Meganola phyllaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Patrick Coin, Steve Hall, Carol Tingley, Tom Howard on 2024-07-27
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Meganola phyllaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-07-27
Rowan Co.
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Meganola phyllaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-07-22
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Meganola phyllaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-07-16
Madison Co.
Comment:
Meganola phyllaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-07-07
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Meganola phyllaRecorded by: David George on 2024-07-04
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Meganola phyllaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Stephen Dunn on 2024-06-29
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Meganola phyllaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-06-29
Rowan Co.
Comment: