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

Callopistria granitosa (Guenée, 1852) - Granitose Fern Moth


view caption
Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: NoctuidaeSubfamily: EriopinaeP3 Number: 932193.00 MONA Number: 9632.00
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: Several specimens have been barcoded from North Carolina and have identical barcodes with each other and specimens from Texas and Florida. No variation is seen but the species clusters with C. cordata indicating, as do the genitalia, indicating that these two species are most closely related.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1954)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Wagner et al. (2011)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The forewing pattern of this species is thin silver crosslines on a brick red background. There is a silver horseshoe mark in the reniform but much smaller than in C. mollissima. The forewing is gently rounded at the apex as in C. cordata, without an excavation as seen in C. floridensis and C. mollissima.
Adult Structural Features: This species and C. cordata have remarkably similar male and female genitalia and tergites however the barcodes are distinct and the maculation very distinct. The small differences we see may not hold up in longer series.
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Apparently not well-known, but Wagner et al. (2011) described one larva as "light green with conspicuous longitudinal striping and black spots over the head."
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: We have records from the Coastal Plain to the low mountains which is consistent with the distribution of bracken fern.
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