Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Noctuidae Members:	Callopistria Members:	89 NC Records

Callopistria floridensis (Guenée, 1852) - Florida Fern Moth

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Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Noctuoidea

Family:
Noctuidae

Subfamily:
Eriopinae

P3 Number:
932190

MONA Number:
9630.00

Comments: This is a very large genus found worldwide. We have 5 species in the US and Canada of which 4 occur in North Carolina. The genus contains reddish species which feed on ferns and is likely polyphyletic, including our 4 species.

Species Status: No specimens from North Carolina have been barcoded. However specimens from Florida, Oklahoma and Texas have and there is significant heterogeneity in the samples. Additional specimens are needed to resolve whether or not there are multiple species under a single name. This species appears by barcoding to be most closely related to a number of Asian species.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Beadle and Leckie (2012)

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

Technical Description, Adults: Forbes (1954)

Technical Description, Immature Stages: Forbes (1954)

Adult Markings: The pattern and color of the forewings are striking and unique among our moth species. The ground color is pinkish- to olive-brown. A dark brown basal dash is present and a triangular or trapezoidal wedge of dark brown located at the middle of the costa is the most conspicuous mark; a subterminal dark patch may also be present. A pale, pinkish or silvery band extends obliquely from the inner margin to the costa, bordering the median basal patch on its outer side. This line then bends around sinuously, merging with the postmedian. Other pale lines border the other dark spots and a pale adterminal line may also be present.

Wingspan: 28-35 mm (Forbes, 1954)

Adult Structural Features: The male genitalia of this species show characters in common with C. cordata and C. granitosa but they are all somewhat different from that of C. mollissima except for the plate on the tergite. The base of the valves is very complex and the prominent tufts or brushes seen in C. cordata and C. granitosa are much reduced in this species. The terminal tergites have peculiar sclerotized structures that will serve to identify this species.

Structural photos

Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.

Immatures and Development: The caterpillars are extremely variable in color (see Wagner et al (2011)) and hide quite well in potted ferns.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: As a migrant this species has been taken almost exclusively in eastern North Carolina but it should occur throughout the state as well.

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
Flight Comments: There appear to be multiple broods and the species likely breeds continuously throughout the growing season. Because there are records in the spring, it may overwinter at times but it seems to mostly migrate to our area.

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: North Carolina records come primarily from barrier island and Longleaf Pine habitats; in the Piedmont, records come mainly from wooded habitats located next to large man-made lakes. We have no idea, however, if any of these sites contain breeding habitat for this species, supporting residential populations.

Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on commercially grown ferns and perhaps native species, although we are unaware of records for the latter. Our only larval record is from an ornamental Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata). - View

Observation Methods: Attracted to lights but we have no records of it coming to bait or to flowers. If you have a Boston Fern (from a nursery or grocery store) hanging on your porch, look for telltale frass below the plant in the summer and early fall.

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Fernlands

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR SNR [S3S4]

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

Comments: This species may be primarily a migratory stray in our area, although some may establish at least short term colonies associated with greenhouses. More work needs to be done to determine if there are any residential populations in the state, and what host plants and habitats are used at those sites.

Photo Gallery for Callopistria floridensis - Florida Fern Moth

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

	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-09-09 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-09-04 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-25 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-17 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Melody McMichael on 2025-08-09 Forsyth Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Melody McMichael on 2025-08-09 Forsyth Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2025-07-20 Mecklenburg Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-19 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: R. Newman on 2025-05-13 Carteret Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-10-04 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-25 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-09-06 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-09-06 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-05 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-07-21 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-09-19 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-09-19 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2023-07-23 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George on 2023-07-21 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: J.B. Sullivan on 2023-07-12 Carteret Co. Comment: Larva (31 mm) was in a Boston Fern hanging basket.
	Recorded by: J.B. Sullivan on 2023-07-12 Carteret Co. Comment: A pupa (lateral view; 8 mm).		Recorded by: J.B. Sullivan on 2023-07-12 Carteret Co. Comment: A pupa (ventral view; 8 mm).
	Recorded by: J.B. Sullivan on 2023-07-12 Carteret Co. Comment: a view of the pupal hooks.		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2022-11-04 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-10-30 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-09-13 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2022-08-18 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-07-31 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2022-07-30 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-07-28 Wake Co. Comment: