Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Noctuidae Members:	Papaipema Members:	71 NC Records

Papaipema cataphracta (Grote, 1864) - Burdock Borer Moth

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Noctuoidea

Family:
Noctuidae

Subfamily:
Noctuinae

Tribe:
Apameini

P3 Number:
932497

MONA Number:
9466.00

Comments: One of 44 species in this genus that occur in North America north of Mexico (Lafontaine and Schmidt, 2010, 2015), 30 of which have been recorded in North Carolina

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)

Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD

Adult Markings: The ground color is straw yellow, heavily dusted with brown (Forbes, 1948). The basal and medial area are concolorous, with the basal area and that between the orbicular and reniform solidly brown. The spots are large and filled with the ground color. The antemedian runs in a broad sweep below the reniform rather than having a strong angulation. The postmedian is clearly double with the outer portion heavy and sharply bent opposite the cell. The subterminal area is fuscous gray with a violet tint. The terminal is solidly fuscous brown with a yellow spot at the apex.

Structural photos

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
Immature 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: Wagner et al. (2011) list the following as habitats used by this species: fields, waste lots, wetlands, grasslands, glades, and woodlands. The majority of our records come from wet-to-mesic habitats. In the Coastal Plain, records come from sites with extensive swamp forests and/or pond edges. In the Piedmont, most are from bottomlands, including beaver ponds, stream edges, and from at least one old field. In the Mountains, alluvial habitats and cove forests are prominent, with a few from high elevation sites, including primarily forested sites as well some that are partially open. None of our records come from dry sites and most are at least partially forested.

Larval Host Plants: Larvae are borers in a wide range of herbaceous species, including grasses and other monocot families, composites, and members of a number of other dicot families (Wagner et al., 2011). In North Carolina, larvae have been recorded boring in the stems of Rattlesnake-master (Eryngium yuccifolium), Cutleaf Coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata), Tall Goldenrod (Solidago altissima), Wingstem (Verbesina alternifolia), and Hairy Leafcup (Smallanthus uvedalia). - View

Wikipedia

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S3S4]

State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.

Comments:

Photo Gallery for Papaipema cataphracta - Burdock Borer Moth

71 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-07-27 Madison Co. Comment: A stem burrow in Cutleaf Coneflower.		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-07-27 Madison Co. Comment: Larva from a burrow in Cutleaf Coneflower.
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-07-27 Madison Co. Comment: Larva from a burrow in Cutleaf Coneflower.		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-10-12 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: tom ward on 2023-11-09 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: tom ward on 2023-11-07 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: tom ward on 2023-11-05 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-10-27 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-10-27 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: tom ward on 2023-10-19 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: tom ward on 2023-10-18 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: tom ward on 2023-10-18 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: tom ward on 2023-10-13 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: tom ward on 2023-10-13 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: tom ward on 2023-10-12 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: tom ward on 2023-10-11 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: tom ward on 2023-10-11 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: tom ward on 2023-10-07 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: tom ward on 2023-10-06 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: John Petranka on 2023-07-31 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-07-03 Madison Co. Comment: Larva was boring in the stem of Rattlesnake Master.		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-07-03 Madison Co. Comment: Larva was boring in the stem of Rattlesnake Master.
	Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-10-28 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-10-26 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-10-24 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-10-24 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-10-24 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-10-22 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-10-21 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-10-17 Buncombe Co. Comment: