Moths of North Carolina
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Apamea Members:
3 NC Records

Apamea quinteri Mikkola & Lafontaine, 2009 - No Common Name

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: NoctuidaeSubfamily: NoctuinaeTribe: ApameiniP3 Number: 932301.00 MONA Number: 9329.10
Comments: A Holarctic genus of about 140 species, with 63 recorded in North America, mostly from boreal or montane habitats (Mikkola et al., 2009). Seventeen species occur in North Carolina with the majority of records coming from the mountains.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Mikkola et al. (2009)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A medium-sized, dark grayish-brown Noctuid, with females possessing a paler, yellowish basal area. The ground color is brownish gray. The antemedian and postmedian lines are double and filled with a somewhat paler gray, as are the orbicular and reniform spots. A blackish basal dash is present along with similar streaks in the fold in the medial, subterminal and terminal areas. The subterminal line is pale and irregular and lacks the sharply defined w-mark that is frequently found in members of this genus. The hindwings are darker fuscous (Mikkola et a., 2009). Apamea cariosa is similar in size, coloration, and pattern, but has a stronger w-mark in the subterminal area and a more sharply defined medial dash; females in cariosa are more uniformly colored than in quinteri, lacking the pale basal patch.
Forewing Length: 16-18 mm (Mikkola et al., 2009)
Adult Structural Features: Male reproductive structures are distinctive and are described and illustrated in Mikkola et al. (2009). Female reproductive structures are similar to those of A. vulgaris but differ from A. cariosa, which is otherwise similar in size, color, and wing markings.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Immature stages are unknown (Mikkola et al., 2009)
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Recorded in the southern and northern Mountains of North Carolina, as well as the western Piedmont.
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
Flight Comments: Our records come from June and July.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Mikkola et al. (2009) state that quinteri is associated with prairie remnants, at least in some parts of its range. In North Carolina, however, one record comes from a stand of Spruce-Fir Forest located above 6,000 ft in elevation, another from a riparian area located below 3,000 ft, and a site in the western Piedmont not known to have any prairie remnants located nearby.
Larval Host Plants: Larval hosts are unknown, but members of this genus generally feed on grasses. - View
Observation Methods: Comes to lights but to what extent is not clear
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: [W3]
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR SU
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: This is a poorly known moth throughout its range. In North Carolina, too little is known about its residency status, distribution, host plants and habitat affinities to estimate its conservation status.

 Photo Gallery for Apamea quinteri - No common name

Photos: 1

Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2013-07-13
Cabarrus Co.
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