Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNoctuidae Members: Callopistria Members: 212 NC Records

Callopistria mollissima (Guenée, 1852) - Pink-shaded Fern Moth

Callopistria mollissimaCallopistria mollissima
view caption 		Callopistria mollissima
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Eriopinae		P3 Number:
932192		 MONA Number:
9631.00
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: Multiple specimens from North Carolina have been barcoded and are similar to those from elsewhere in the species’ range. There is no evidence of sibling species.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1954)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Wagner et al. (2011)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The broad, reddish postmedial line and the prominent silver horseshoe mark in the reniform space serve to characterize this species. The abdominal tuft is well developed.
Adult Structural Features: The basal brushes on the valves seen in the other three Callopistria species are absent and the attachment of the two valves is moved posteriorly. The sclerotization of the aedeagus and the shape of the vesica differ as well. However, the subterminal tergite has a sclerotized plate, which while different from that in C. granitosa and C. cordata, argues that this species is probably a member of the same genus.
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The caterpillar is greenish or reddish, with oblique white and red stripes (Wagner et al., 2011). There aer two prominent lines on the head capsule found in two other of our species of Callopistria and in Fagitana; this character may be convergent for moths feeding on ferns.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Found across the state, from the Barrier Islands to the High Mountains
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Callopistria mollissimaAlamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New%20Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: adults.