Moths of North Carolina
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Hyppa Members:
82 NC Records

Hyppa contrasta McDunnough, 1946 - No Common Name


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Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: NoctuidaeSubfamily: NoctuinaeTribe: XyleniniP3 Number: 932665.00 MONA Number: 9579.00
Comments: Currently the genus contains 6 species (Troubridge and Lafontaine, 2004). The type is Eurasian but the remaining species are from North America, two of which occur in North Carolina. The pattern of maculation is strongly conserved.
Species Status: Specimens from North Carolina have been barcoded and are consistent with those from elsewhere in the species’ range; there is no evidence of heterogeneity. Our two species are clearly separated.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1954)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Wagner et al. (2011) describe the larvae of H. xylinoides but state that characters that distinguish the two species have not yet been identified.                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The genus is fairly easy to recognize from the wing pattern, the two species are more difficult and shown in the accompanying figure. The brownish suffusion in H. contrasta and the overall darker appearance should separate it from H. xylinoides. Note that the orbicular and reniforms spots often touch in H. contrasta but are usually well separated in H. xylinoides. Both are collected together but H. contrasta is usually larger. Sexes are similar.
Adult Structural Features: The genitalia are somewhat variable and distinguishing the two species of Hyppa using their genitalia can be tricky. In males there is a sclerotized ridge at the base of the valve which is smooth in H. xylinoides but with small projections and more rounded in H. contrasta. In the female the posterior portion of the ostium is rounded in H. contrasta and truncated in H. xylinoides. Furthermore, the bursa is much more streaked and slightly granulated than in H. xylinoides. These differences are somewhat at variance with those given in Troubridge and Lafontaine (2004) and may reflect geographic differences.
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae are resumably similar to those of H. xylinodes but otherwise have not been described in detail or illustrated (see Wagner et al., 2011).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Restricted to the Mountains in North Carolina.
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)

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