Moths of North Carolina
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53 NC Records

Elaphria cornutinis Pogue, 2000 - No Common Name

Elaphria cornutinisElaphria cornutinisElaphria cornutinis
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Noctuinae		Tribe:
Elaphriini		P3 Number:
932235		 MONA Number:
9681.20		 MONA Synonym:
Elaphria cornutinus
Comments: One of fourteen species in this genus that occur in North America north of Mexico (Lafontaine and Schmidt, 2010), nine of which have been recorded in North Carolina
Species Status: Three species have now been described that were formerly included within the Elaphria festivoides complex: festivoides, cornutinus, and alapallida. All are distinct in terms of their reproductive structures but can be very difficult to distinguish based on external appearance alone. We use a combination of wing markings, flight period, habitat association, and range within the state to place at least some specimens within the individual species accounts, but many submitted records based on photographs need to be left at the level of the Elaphria festivoides complex.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Saluke and Pogue (2000)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: This is a summer-flying species that has been found in North Carolina from the Blue Ridge to the Fall-line Sandhills. It is darker brown than festivoides (Saluke and Pogue, 2000) but the differences in forewing pattern from alapallida have not been well-described. There are a number of structural features that can be used to separate them, however, at least the males.
Forewing Length: 9-12 mm (Saluke and Pogue, 2000)
Adult Structural Features: Males have a pair of hair pencils located at base of the abdomen that are missing in festivoides (Saluke and Pogue, 2000), and probably in alipallida (not mentioned by Pogue and Sullivan, 2003). The number of cornuti of the male aedaeagus is 33-43, overlapping that of alipallida but less than in festivoides. They also appear to be much shorter than those of festivoides and more similar to those of alipallida. No differences in female reproductive structures were found between cornutinis and festivoides but probably differ from those of alipallida, which are described as distinct from festivoides by Pogue and Sullivan (2003).
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable only by close inspection of structural features or by DNA analysis.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Saluke and Pogue (2000) do not show any North Carolina records on their distribution map for this species. However, Sullivan had records from the Blue Ridge to the Fall-line Sandhills.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Elaphria cornutinis
Flight 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: Based on North Carolina records from J.B. Sullivan (most if not all based on dissection or comparison to dissected specimens), this species flies in our state from the end of April to the end of August/early September. This range overlaps that of alipallida but differs from the earlier and later flights of festivoides
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: In the Piedmont, records come primarily from bottomland hardwoods and shoreline habitats, with some coming from mesic slopes or upland swamp forests. In the Mountains and foothills, records come from cove forests and mesic slopes
Larval Host Plants: Host plants appear to be unknown (Saluke and Pogue, 2000). - 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 Elaphria cornutinis - No common name

Photos: 5

Recorded by: Lenny Lampel on 2017-08-17
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Lenny Lampel on 2017-06-23
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Paul Scharf, B.Bockhahn on 2014-05-12
Burke Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Paul Scharf on 2011-04-23
Warren Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Paul Scharf on 2010-04-26
Warren Co.
Comment: