Moths of North Carolina
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
« »
View PDFNoctuidae Members:
Apamea Members:
1 NC Records

Apamea lintneri Grote, 1873 - Sand Wainscot Moth

Apamea lintneri
Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: NoctuidaeSubfamily: NoctuinaeTribe: ApameiniP3 Number: 932356 MONA Number: 9395.00 MONA Synonym: Ommatostola lintneri
Comments: One of 64 species in this genus that occur in North America north of Mexico (Lafontaine and Schmidt, 2010), 17 of which have been recorded in North Carolina
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1954); Mikkola et al. (2009)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Mikkola et al. (2009)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A medium-sized buffy, poorly marked Noctuid. The ground color of the forewings is yellowish-brown with the veins marked with white and variably shaded or speckled with black; transverse lines and spots are absent. Unlike other species in this genus with similar forewings, the hindwings are distinctively white (Mikkola et al., 2009).
Wingspan: 40 mm (Forbes, 1948)
Forewing Length: 17-20 mm (Mikkola et al., 2009)
Adult Structural Features: The male reproductive structures are described and illustrated by Mikkola et al. (2009) and are distinctive. Female reproductive structures are smilar to those of Apamea niveivnosa, but that species does not occur close to our area and consequently the females of lintneri are also distinctive here.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: According to Eric Quinter (in Mikkola et al., 2009), the larva is a subterranean cutworm that feeds below ground on the culms of American Beachgrass. Pupation also occurs underground. The description given by Forbes (1954) apparently refers to some other species, but no descriptions or illustrations are given by Mikkola et al.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Possibly restricted to the northern part of the Outer Banks
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: Mikkola et al. (2009) state that adults emerge in late summer; our one record comes from early October
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: This species is believed to be associated with coastal beach dunes throughout its range. The one record from North Carolina comes from Roanoke Island, which is located within a sound rather than along the outer coast.
Larval Host Plants: Probably monophagous on American Beach-grass (Ammophila breviligulata) (Mikkola et al., 2009). - View
Observation Methods: We have too little information to estimate how well this species comes to light or to bait
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for Maritime Dune Grass and Forblands
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status: [W3]
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G4 SH
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: The North Carolina record for this species is the furthest south, with the next closest record located in the Delmarva Peninsula (Mikkola et al., 2009). The northern Outer Banks -- particularly dune habitat -- has not been sampled and we do not have enough information yet to know how common it is in that area. In any case, it appears to be a strong candidate for consideration as Significantly Rare in North Carolina.

 Photo Gallery for Apamea lintneri - Sand Wainscot Moth

Photos: 1

Recorded by: Samuel M. Gifford on 1976-10-01
Dare Co.
Comment: